In 2023, the World Heritage Site Steering Group raised concerns about the increasing number of coins being lodged into the natural joints and fractures of the basalt formations at the Giant’s Causeway.
While this practice has occurred for many years, it has become significantly more widespread over the past decade, with visitors inserting coins after seeing others already embedded in the rock.
That same year, a study by the British Geological Survey confirmed that the continued insertion and corrosion of coins is causing both aesthetic staining and structural damage to the site.
A trial removal was carried out by Cliveden Conservation in February 2024 to establish safe extraction methods, and following its success, Consarc Conservation and Rock Stone Masonry were appointed in November 2025 to deliver a pilot removal project, supported by funding from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the National Trust.
This work included detailed mapping and surveying of affected areas, followed by the careful removal of coins from designated test sections. Visitor messaging has also been strengthened, including the introduction of a video explaining the issue. With further funding from the NIEA, National Trust and the Curry Fund, the remaining coins across the site will be removed in 2026.