Classic hobby set to disappear as Australia goes cashless

Yahoo

3 days ago

For generations, savvy young Aussies have delighted in searching for lost coins and using them to buy little things like a haul of lollies, a feed of fish and chips, or a brand new Star Wars figurine. The best places were traditionally footy grounds at the end of a weekend game, festivals or beaches after a hot summer's day.
Prospector Angus James loved finding old change as a kid, and now he works full-time searching for gold and other treasures. He still likes to take his own two children out looking for lost 20-cent pieces and the odd $2 coin, but finding any newly lost change is becoming rare.
The reason is a simple one — people seldom carry cash in Australia these days.
Around 30 years ago, when Angus was young, he'd head to empty paddocks after a festival and take home at least $200. 'Now, when people go out and do it, they'd be lucky to find $5 each. Everything is cashless, so it's making it hard to find the $1 and $2 coins,' he said.
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When Angus goes to footy ovals that have been in use for generations, he often finds pre-decimal currency under trees. People would sit down to have a rest in the shade and lose a coin or two.
Gold rush-era campsites are another great place to find old treasures, and he regularly shares his finds on his Gold Coins and Relics Australia social media page. Last month, Angus even found an old Mexican reales coin, often referred to as 'pieces of eight' or silver dollars, and associated with pirate folklore.
Little-known rule about old Australian coins
The Royal Australian Mint told Yahoo News it's impossible to know how many old coins have been lost.
While you're less likely to come across a newer coin lost in the grass, there's a little-known rule about pre-decimal currency that's still in place. 'Pre-decimal Australian currency can be exchanged for its face value at most commercial banks,' a Mint spokesperson told Yahoo.
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Finding old coins isn't just about finding something of value. Many of the coins Angus unearths are relatively worthless, but they tell a story about early Australia and the people who lived here.
'Searching for newer coins is a bit of a lost cause. The good thing about finding old coins is you get a date, and you can have a think back to what it was like then,' he said.
'Now, you just don't get that history with dropped coins.'
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