I was researching the cost to mail/ship coins to Spain from US. On the page that I linked below, it states that shipping coins; banknotes; currency notes is prohibited.
Is there something I am missing? an exception possibly.
I live in the US and I have swapped with several different members in Spain. To date they have all received their coins without issue. It has taken them longer to receive them than other Western European Nations.
Pack them discreetly and say something like hobby, Numismatic items, tokens etc. on the customs form and you should not have a problem other than the cost and time consuming delivery time.
Quote: "worth"I live in the US and I have swapped with several different members in Spain. To date they have all received their coins without issue. It has taken them longer to receive them than other Western European Nations.
Hey Worth, its Randy from Fayetteville GA. How long did it take to ship to Spain?
Hey Randy! It seems like it took around 2.5 to 3 weeks for them to receive the package in Spain. I have swapped with 4-5 Spanish traders and if I remember it always seems like it takes extra long. For comparison France takes right at a week. Also I always list the contents as “hobby supplies” on the customs form. My post office guys know there are coins (they always ask me about them as they know I am trading) in the package, but they agree it’s better to be vague.
About the legal question of shipping coins, I've talked a time ago with a Correos (mail service) worker. We both understand that the prohibition of sending money by mail is just that, sending money. You must use other kind of services to that purpose, not in a letter. Obviously, if you sent foreign coins, even old spanish coins, not in circulation now, you're not sending legal tender money, just collecting items. So, if you mark as collectible items in custom declaration (maybe required for a registered letter, not for an ordinary one, or letters inside Spain or European Union), you won't have any problem.
This about theory, about practice, I've sent and received hundreds of letters with coins, buy, sell and swaps, inside Spain and all around the world, and never had any problem. In Spain, maybe I've lost one or two letter, always non-registered, if you send registered, the post service there are really carefully with.
About sending, just a few of common sense. Do not put the coins inside the enveloppe, that sounds when they bump into each other, just protected with bubbles plastic or paperboard is enough.
About time of delivery, maybe we're slower than other countries, I've seen in last times that sending / receiving is slower than before. Years ago the postman visited my street every day, now, sometimes i miss three or four days, and after, I receive five letters together. Probably, we use less and less the postal service. Only Aliexpress small envelopes and any freaky collectors of coins send letters frequently, so for less work in postal service, less workers and more time to receive. Even in these days, about christmas holidays, lot of work and any more time to receive letters.
Anyway, you can trust totally in spanish post services, and I hope you have nice swaps with spanish collectors.
