Hopefully this is not breaking the rules by asking.

As most of you know I own a pub. The other day I was chatting with a few of the staff and we ended up discussing 'coppers' not the Police you understand but 1and 2 pence pieces. We all agreed that they are a pain in the derriere.

Normally I just chuck them in the nearest lifeboat or whatever boxes we have on the bars but we got to thinking how we could make a feature/talking point out of them.

One idea was to construct a huge tall cylindrical Perspex tube rather like the old Blue Peter thingy. Nominate a Charity (McMillan Nurses in our case) and watch it fill up over the months.

Another idea was to do coppers for coppers and donate it to a Police Charity.

The problem isn't collecting them but presenting it.

All suggestions welcome

Thanks

Stuboy

The Tube idea, I like.

Pubs used to use an extra large empty whisky bottle on the counter and customers used to fill it for the named charity but I like your tube idea.

Rosemary

Keep them and throw them into running water when you pass over a river etc. That pleases the water sprites. Old Celtic custom.

The tube idea seems to be the most popular here as well.

I think to have one made would cost a fortune though.

I've seen towers of coppers standing on bars. When they start to get unstable you hold an auction to sell the right to push it over. I don't know how you stop idiots nicking coins though...

I've seen this as well, the problem is I don't know enough physics to construct it plus it takes up quite a bit of space.

They do look good though.

Must admit the idea of a Scot throwing coins away into a river amuses me somewhat.

I recall a local church raising funds for some repairs quite a few years back.
They did so by beginning a chain of coins mostly coppers on top of the surrounding stone wall which bordered onto a road and must have been at least half a km long.
Amazingly the idea was a success and the chain of coins eventually completed the circle around the premises without any problems or interference.

look in yellow pages and find a company that specialises in Plastic tubing. You may even get them to make you a one-off with a slot (or two) for free as it is for charity - even if you do have to agree to a tiny sticker saying it was donated by X.

best of luck with it

here in Spain most shops seem to have to perpetuate the 1c and 2c coins in their prices because that is what it comes out to, (probably as the UK VAT/IBA play a part in that).
but then when the bill comes to say €10.51 they will only take the €10.50 - so why didn't they look at their pricing in the first place.

How about using the glass that they use to drink a yard of ale from, would that work?

Rosemary

A wheel barrow painted gloss-black, all the coins dipped in an agitator or chemical to cause them to shine like gold. A McMillan Nurse dressed in a skimpy uniform, preferably male and bearded. The whole ensemble professionally photographed with your good self wielding a shovel and filling a sack with the glittering stuff and in the background the pub and its sign.
Every angle covered, eye catching and for a good cause, with you and the Biz smelling of roses!

Thank you all for some great ideas. I'll let you know how it pans out.

PS Dom, thanks for the tip about slots. I honestly hadn't thought about that. I imagined I would fill it my self from the top but there's no reason of course why customers can't add their own coppers.

Cheers All.

Living with the plague 1665

The ‘cordon sanitaire’ effectively cut Eyam from the outside world and changed normal village life. Instead of going to Bakewell Market and Fulwood for their supplies, Eyam’s residents left money in the stream outside their village in exchange for goods. Such was the fear of catching the plague, vinegar was used as a disinfectant to cleanse the coins of the disease.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_...rticle_3.shtml

correction to my earlier post - you need a company specialising in Perspex rather than plastic. you may be able to get something made up as a special box with a chute for the money to fall down.