Otha Anders began collecting pennies in the late 1960s. Not only did he save his change after a shopping spree, but he also searched for pennies that had fallen on the sidewalk or lost pennies under sofa cushions. . He saw it as a way to be grateful for the little things.
“If I see a penny on the floor, or in the hallway, on the floor, or anywhere, I’ll automatically always say a prayer of thanksgiving, and I’ll say, Well, that’s God’s way. to remind myself that I should always be grateful.”
There was a kind of strange discipline in this practice. Anders refused to spend pennies even when it was convenient.
“I haven’t spent a penny in 40 years or more,” he said. “I would have cracked a dollar before spending a penny.”
Eventually, Anders’ group grew so large that it required dozens of clear plastic jugs of water. Keep it in the garden. They have been filled to the brim with copper coins for decades.
In 2018, Anders decided it was finally time to raise funds from his band. He was 73 years old and had hoarded pennies for more than half his life. He wanted to see the fruits of his labor.
The first step was actually putting the pennies in the bank. They were in portable five-gallon canisters, but they were too heavy, so Anders ended up putting them on carts and hauling them on a truck. Several friends and family members helped with the mission.
Arrived at the bank, the cashiers could not believe their eyes. There were so many amazing pennies! The group was so huge that it caused an error message to appear in their crypto sorter.
But at the end of the day, Anders was paid pennies. His total turned out to be $5,136. They put over 500,000 pence together and weighed over 2,800 pounds.
Anders thinks he could spend the money on a recent dental bill.
