What Happens to Coins Thrown into Fountains?

In many places, coins thrown into fountains are periodically collected, and the money is donated to charities. In Rome, coins are collected from the Trevi Fountain on a daily basis. A similar process is used with coins thrown into fountains and other water features along the Las Vegas Strip in the United States. The city as well as the private businesses that operate the water features drain the fountains and collect the coins on a regular basis. The coins are counted and donated to local charities.

More facts about coins and fountains:

• The most common reason why people throw coins into fountains is to seek good luck. A person might wish for riches, success in love or even a pleasant resolution to a negative situation. Methods vary, with some people insisting that the wish must be stated verbally as the coin is tossed into the water. Other people believe that the wish must be kept silent for it to come true.


• Tossing coins into fountains is sometimes performed with the hope of being able to return to the same place in the future. For example, it is a tradition for visitors to Rome to toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain as a way of ensuring they will be able to come back someday.


• Three Coins in the Fountain is the name of both a 1954 motion picture and an award-winning song. The plot revolves around three women who toss coins into Rome’s Trevi Fountain in the hopes of landing the husbands of their dreams. The title song received an Academy Award as the Best Original Song for that year.