Where to get US coins in Ontario, Canada

[DaniB]

I checked with my bank first naturally, and was told they do not deal with any coins except Canadian anymore. Just paper bills for foreign exchange.

I want to make ready some M&M tubes filled with pennies and quarters for pressed pennies. Plus another M&M tube or two of quarters for laundry.

So where can I find US coins if banks don't deal with coins anymore?

I bank at RB. Maybe another bank has them?

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

I go to Wellington Foreign Exchange here in Kingston and you can purchase a roll of quarters, maybe you have somewhere like that that just sells and buys currency? I also work in retail so I save the US coins from the cash register.

 

[got_ron]

I work as a cashier at a Casino and thats where I get mine. All of my fellow cashiers love to look for them and save them for me. I've got about $30 worth of quarters and about $2.00 in pennies. If you have anyone close to you who work in any type of monitary enviroment maybe ask if they can save them for you.

 

[Gigi22]

The last time the Canadian dollar was at PAR for an extended period of time, I noticed that we got a lot more US coins in our day-to-day change. Of course, this may not be quite the same now, with the passport rules and the recent increase in cost of US Passports. We keep our US change in a child's piggy bank at home, and carefully fill it up between trips be checking our change carefully. My bank doesn't provide foreign change either, so I feel your pain!

 

[vdwrrw]

Do you know any truck drivers? That's where we got a bunch!

 

[dsneygirl]

I would exchange them at the front desk of your hotel. There is also usually a change machine in the laundry rooms. Probably easier than lugging $20 in quarters.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I would exchange them at the front desk of your hotel. There is also usually a change machine in the laundry rooms. Probably easier than lugging $20 in quarters.

That was my thought too.

 

[bdoyledimou]

Keep in mind tht US and Canadian coins are also the same size weight... since you are paying with the quarters and collecting the pennies, Canadian Pennies will work just as good.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Have to disagree with you on that point..US and Canadian coins are not the same size and weight. I am also a cashier and we use a jet sort to redeem excess coin from customers. The US quarters are counted as toonies on our machines. Depending on the sensitivity of the coin acceptor you may run into problems with Canadian quarters. If you don't have access to coin here, then I agree with a previous poster and just grab them from the change machine at the hotel laundry.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

That was my thought too.

I agree. I got stopped by security once because I had all my US change in a pouch in my purse.

They made me go through everything in my purse and then security was really unpleasant that I had a small change purse full of US coins. She said it looked funny on the xray machine and they needed to know what it was.

If you carry them make sure you take them out for inspection if flying.

 

[Alderbrook]

I find every time we go in to the US shopping I always end up with a ton of US change. I have a piggy bank almost full of it so I'm sure that if you spend $$$ there, you'll end up with change probably on your first day. If you're getting back $4 in change when you buy something, instead of getting 4 1 dollar bills, just ask for it in change.

 

[GrUvGrL]

The thought of taking my own change didn't even cross my mind... last time I was there, I had no problem at all doing laundry and gathering pennies. So that means I musta not had a hard time

You will be fine.

 

[joandegennaro]

Noticed your location in the GTA, I'm in Durham Region and I would suggest Contenetal Currency. I'm pretty sure they have a location in the Yorkdale Mall if your really looking to take the money with you. However I would agree with the other posters about how easy it is to "collect" change while down in the States.

 

[hockey mom]

I also work at a local casino and so far I have over $90 in US change

I always have a big bag in my carry on and have never once been questioned about it.

I would be glad to collect the pennies for you and just mail them to you - when is your trip planned for.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I am surprised the tellers at your Royal Bank aren't trying to be more helpful. I bank at the Royal, and they know (from my frequent visits to exchange funds as the dollar continues to rise for our summer US adventure ) that we're heading for the states in a couple of months. They have been saving me out the US quarters and have them ready for the next time I'm in the branch, which is weekly if not more often.

They usually have between 3 & 5 dollars worth for me at each visit. We live in a small city, and the tellers say that they get american change all the time.

 

[Alderbrook]

I also work at a local casino and so far I have over $90 in US change

I always have a big bag in my carry on and have never once been questioned about it.

I would be glad to collect the pennies for you and just mail them to you - when is your trip planned for.

The cost to mail change would be huge I would think, just to mail my income tax package cost me $2.00 & it wasn't that heavy!

 

[BELLEDOZER]

Maybe it's just me, living on the Wet Coast, but I find US coins in my change all the time. FYI pre 1982 US pennies make better impressions in the pressed penny machine, than the pennies made after 1982 (more copper in them). The pennies can be cleaned in Lemon juice or ketchup. Have a great day everyone!

 

[roscoepc1]

My dh is a truck driver, and we get tons...so I second the motion of asking a friend who drives truck!

 

[DaniB]

I go to Wellington Foreign Exchange here in Kingston and you can purchase a roll of quarters, maybe you have somewhere like that that just sells and buys currency?

We might. I'll have to check the phone book. Thanks for the suggestion!

If you have anyone close to you who work in any type of monitary enviroment maybe ask if they can save them for you.

The owner at our local convience store has been saving change for me. Slow going for change ($3.04 so far) over the past month but he's given me $80 in twenties, and $18 in one's!

I agree. I got stopped by security once because I had all my US change in a pouch in my purse. If you carry them make sure you take them out for inspection if flying.

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep the M&M tubes in a zip-lock bag that I can pull out of my baggallini with other stuff before passing through the x-rays. If they need to empty the tubes, then at least the change can all get emptied into the zip-lock bag and I'll refill the tubes on the plane.

Noticed your location in the GTA, I'm in Durham Region and I would suggest Contenetal Currency. I'm pretty sure they have a location in the Yorkdale Mall if your really looking to take the money with you. However I would agree with the other posters about how easy it is to "collect" change while down in the States.

Ok, I'll check that out! I'm actually in Clarington Region and maybe there's something in the Oshawa Town Centre.

 

[DaniB]

I am surprised the tellers at your Royal Bank aren't trying to be more helpful... They usually have between 3 & 5 dollars worth for me at each visit.

I hardly ever go into the branch, so they don't know me very well. Perhaps that's why. Though one lady recognizes me and asks how the trip planning is going. I may ask her next time and see if I come weekly if she can put them aside for me. Thanks for the tip!

My dh is a truck driver, and we get tons...so I second the motion of asking a friend who drives truck!

I'm afraid I can't think of anyone I know who drives a truck. Or knows someone. There's another mom at school who is here for the rest of the school year, and her husband visits every 2 weeks from Virgina. She was going to get her husband to bring rolls of quarters & pennies for me but that was almost a month ago. Maybe he didn't want to. I haven't wanted to ask her what happened.