How this calculator works
Counting cash by hand goes wrong when the same pile is counted twice or a note is stuck to another. The reliable method is to sort the cash into piles by denomination, count each pile, multiply by the value of that denomination, then add. This calculator does the arithmetic: enter the count for each note and coin and it returns the value, the split between notes and coins, and the number of pieces. Canadian banknotes are the $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. The 1-cent coin is no longer produced, and the 50-cent coin is rarely seen in circulation, but both are still legal tender at their face value. Cash payments in Canada are rounded to the nearest five cents only when the total is paid in cash, and the rounding applies to the total bill, not to each item. For a business deposit, the deposit slip is a useful cross-check: if your count does not match the register, recount the highest denominations first, because a single $100 error changes the total more than any number of small errors. Leave the calculation of face value to the calculator, but do not confuse it with the metal value: the metal in a coin can differ from its face value, and in some conditions that has mattered.
Formula
Total value = sum of (count of each denomination x its face value). Value in notes and value in coins are the same sum restricted to those groups. Number of pieces = sum of all counts.
Worked example
Three $20 notes, two $10 notes and one $5 note come to $60 + $20 + $5 = $85. Adding six $2 coins and eight 25-cent coins brings the coins to $12 + $2 = $14, for a total of $99 across 20 pieces. The same method works for any currency: the denomination values differ, the arithmetic does not.
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Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator account for rounding?
No. It adds face values exactly. In Canada, a cash payment of a total that is not a multiple of five cents is rounded to the nearest five cents at the till, and the 1-cent coin is no longer produced.
What about the 1-cent coin in Canada?
The Royal Canadian Mint stopped producing it in 2013, but it remains legal tender. A business is not obliged to accept large quantities of small change, and most prices are now rounded to five cents for cash payments.
Can I use this for a different currency?
Yes if the currency is listed. The denominations on the page are those in circulation for the selected currency. If you are counting a currency not listed, multiply counts by face value and add them manually.
Why is the number of pieces useful?
It lets you check the count against a second tally and it matters for deposits, because banks charge by volume for coin handling above a threshold. Knowing you have 400 coins helps you prepare them in rolls.