I want to buy some money

November 28, 2008 3:44 AM

Where can I get five crisp Canadian $5 bills in London, England?

I know the answer might be "a bank" but does anyone know a specific location?

posted by lockedroomguy to Work & Money (10 answers total)

The Post Office does foreign currency - search here for a branch near you.
posted by Acarpous at 3:50 AM on November 28, 2008

Yep. The Post Office will also buy the notes back commission-free. I'm not sure whether they offer exactly the same exchange rate in both directions, but you won't lost more than a few pennies.

Either way, just buy more than you want, pick out the crisp ones, and take the others back (best to leave it a week so you don't annoy the people at your local PO).
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:54 AM on November 28, 2008

Just to clarify - do you mean newly printed $5 Canadian Dollar bills? Or were you just adding the crisp for dramatic effect? : ) If you tell me roughtly where you are in London I can advise your nearest bureau du change.
posted by numberstation at 3:55 AM on November 28, 2008

Response by poster: Numberstation, I do mean crisp. They don't need to be newly printed as long as they're in excellent condition, but newly printed is also fine.
posted by lockedroomguy at 4:27 AM on November 28, 2008

Given that it is such a low denomination note I think that you will struggle. Certainly here in the City any Forex exchange will not carry such low denominations. Marks & Spencer have a Travel Money service and carry low denomination notes and have always been in excellent condition. Link is here to find your nearest M&S travel. A lot of places in the West End will sell Canadian dollars but quality not so good as the notes are recycled.
posted by numberstation at 4:33 AM on November 28, 2008

Or you could MeMail a Canadian to have some sent by express post.
*wiggles eyebrows*
posted by fish tick at 5:04 AM on November 28, 2008

isn't the canadian high commission smack in the middle of town at trafalgar square? perhaps they could help.
posted by krautland at 7:32 AM on November 28, 2008

How many do you need? What about putting a post up on Gumtree asking if any ex-pats have them? Or even Freecycle, you might get some people with left over holiday money.
posted by Helga-woo at 9:06 AM on November 28, 2008

Man, I don't see many crisp and new $5 bills here in Canada, much less in the UK.
posted by Jupiter Jones at 9:16 AM on November 28, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks all. I tried an Amex Bureau de Change and the Covent Garden M&S, and found some in not bad condition, but not good enough to be called crisp.

Kratuland, I had previously called Canada House and they were unable to help, but thanks for the suggestion.

Helga-woo, I need 5 (it's in the question) and they need to be crisp so I don't think anything left over in a wallet will do.

Jupiter Jones, I know what you mean, but when I'm in Canada in a couple of weeks at least I know I'll be able to find them in a bank.

Thanks!
posted by lockedroomguy at 1:38 PM on November 28, 2008