Where can you spend your old pound coins?

The deadline for spending your old pound coins is looming large, but what happens if you find a stash of cash after they're no longer legal tender?

So you finally get around to lifting up the cushions on the sofa while vacuuming, and the good news is that you find some pound coins lurking in the nooks and crannies.

This scenario is perfectly possible, with the Royal Mint estimating there are £500m of old-style coins still in circulation.

The bad news is that after Sunday, the old pound coins can't be spent any more because they've been replaced with shinier, newer ones, which are harder to copy illegally.

However, all is not lost - there are still a few ways you can use those tiny golden nuggets.

• Everything you need to know about the new £1 coin

• Melting down the old pound coins

• Race on to spend old £1 coins

Pop to Poundland

Poundland will wait a bit longer for people to crack open their piggy banks in the hunt for old coins

The coin is king at the Poundland chain of shops, and 850 stores around the country will continue to accept the old pounds. Branded the "Legal Tender Extender", the initiative runs until 31 October.

Poundland's managing director Barry Williams describes the chain as "the official home of the pound" (which may be news to the Treasury).

He added: "It's a no brainer that we offer all Brits the opportunity to spend their hard-earned round pounds for longer."

Off your trolley

Hands up if you've found a shopping trolley that accepts the old pound coin

Supermarkets are counting down to the changeover.

Tesco says it will accept the old coins at the till and in its vending machines one week beyond the deadline, to "do right" by its customers.

Lidl's trolleys can accept both new and old coins, but the old ones will not be accepted at their tills.

However, Sainsbury's have taken the national deadline to heart. Its trolleys already now only accept the new pound coins, and old pound coins will not be accepted at its tills.

Business boost

The Federation of Small Businesses has advised its 170,000 member businesses to continue accepting the coinage "at their discretion".

A spokesman added that many businesses "could choose to continue accepting", so long as they "only bank them" given the "vast amount" still in operation.

Charity causes

If you find old pounds after the deadline, don't worry - Pudsey will take them off your hands

The Royal British Legion is running the #poppypound campaign, making old pound coins available for donation until Remembrance Sunday on 12 November.

The old coins can be taken to Legion branches in Plymouth, Southampton, Brighton, Swindon, Bristol, London, Colchester, Cardiff, Aylesbury, Derby, Birmingham, Belfast, Merseyside, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

And they'll be accepted by poppy sellers, who will be taking donations on the streets.

Claire Rowcliffe, director of fundraising at the Legion, says the charity will be "delighted to turn your out-of-date pounds into poppies".

Other charities are also running similar initiatives - these include the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, Stratford Town Trust, Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, and Epilepsy Action.

Banking bonus

The new pound coins are harder to counterfeit

The Money Saving Expert website reports that Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, Nationwide Building Society, Natwest, RBS and Santander will continue to accept the old pounds.

However, this will only be as deposits from their own customers.

The word from the Post Office is that some branches will accept the old-style coins as deposits, but best to check if your local is one of the obliging branches.

Coining it in

But before you go handing over those unloved coins, do take a closer look.

Some specific types of the old pound coin are worth a lot more than just a quid. The Edinburgh City coin, for example, is worth up to £50 if it's in excellent condition.

Perhaps you should check the kids' piggybank just one more time.

Reporting by Mario Cacciottolo and Alex Taylor