Change Agent

I'm no good with change.

Every night, or morning, I empty my pockets to transfer the relevant leavings to the pants pockets of the new day. Usually, my transit passes, business cards, and note slips make the transition, but change does not.

I put it in a Chock Full o' Nuts coffee can on a bookshelf in my bedroom for later attention.

Sometimes that attention is rapt. I put appropriate coins in albums. I roll it in paper slips for even later attention. Or, it stays put in the coffee can or milk bottle for even later attention. Sometimes, that attention never comes: I moved from Boston to New York with several bags of change, and I'm still working through it.

Thursday night, I paid attention to some change I've had for two-plus years. I carried a small shopping bag of rolled change to the Commerce Bank -- quite the progressive bank -- on 42nd Street in Manhattan to make use of their Penny Arcade. Sans quarters, rolls of which I've been using to pay for laundry these last few months, the sum total?

Pennies: 1,351
Nickels: 438
Dimes: 851

That's more than $120. I even filled their change bags to the brim, so a staff member needed to replace the sacks before I could cash out.

How much change do you have on hand? What are you going to do about -- and with -- it?