Coins from various countries are sorted after being taken out of the money jar. Photo: Xiaoxiang Morning Herald report

A Chinese woman in Australia got more than she bargained for after spending A$50 ($34.70) on a secondhand money jar, only to discover dozens of currencies from around the world inside, turning the unusual thrift-store purchase into a small profit, Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. 

The woman, who goes by Stella online, told Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that she first came across the jar while casually browsing a charity thrift store on October 1, the first day of China's National Day holidays. She filmed it and posted the video online, where it quickly attracted attention. Curious viewers urged her to find out what was inside, so she returned the next day and bought it.

The A$50 jar already showed a few visible banknotes and coins, including a 1-yuan Chinese banknote. Stella explained that the shop was a charity store where donated secondhand items are priced and resold, after some social media users wondered whether the seller was simply trying to make money from the mystery container. 

Once home, Stella spent more than two hours sorting through the haul. Among the finds were 150,000 Vietnamese dong, S$10, $5, 1 yuan and a variety of old coins. By the time she had separated the currencies into dozens of types, she said, it was already dark outside.

A rough calculation put the collection's value at about 421.97 yuan ($63), leaving her more than 180 yuan ahead based on exchange rates. But Stella said she has no plans to cash in. Many of the coins are old and no longer in circulation, and she believes the original owner must have put considerable effort into collecting them. She plans to keep the collection as a souvenir.

Global Times