Copper Counter: Things Left Behind On A Coinstar Machine

I’m fascinated by bloggers who obsessively cover one niche subject.
U.K. blogger James Watson writes about things left behind on a Coinstar change counting machine near his home. His blog is called Copper Counter.
“It’s almost a modern form of archeology,” Watson told BBC Radio 4’s Money Box. “You’re looking at people’s rubbish. You are picking up these coins and washers, tablets and ringpulls, and to me it’s just fascinating. I want to know more about the people behind them. I want to know their story.”
At his local Sainsbury’s supermarket, he regularly checks the Coinstar machine and documents the stuff he finds left behind. Watson finds lots of discarded foreign coins and assorted junk that people had tossed in their change jars.
Watson frequently links to his Flickr photo sharing site. In his set titled “Coinstar Finds,” he included 757 photos of leftover coins and discarded bits and pieces. Stuff left behind included coins from at least 38 countries (such as the U.S., France, Ireland, Spain, Czech Republic, Brazil, Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria and Japan), plus safety pins, hairclips, paper clips, screws, washers, pens, batteries and golf tees.
Watson says he’s found 31.34 Euros in coins ($45.07) so far.
Watson hasn’t updated his blog since Nov. 9, 2009. So he might be taking a break or perhaps he’s ended his Coinstar experiment.
I hope he returns.

Photo: Screen shot of James Watson’s “Coinstar Finds.”

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