How would they be able to count all these pennies? What if you collected pennies as a hobby? Anders collected pennies for 45 years until he had filled up . Cole said the bank will then send the pennies off to the FDIC, and the bank will receive their credit for them. Disclaimer: All content is provided for fun and entertainment purposes only. Believe me, if I had it my way, Id keep these pennies forever. "Our exchange became competitive by each trying to outdo the other and consequently our collections; his nickels, my pennies began to multiply," he said. I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful, Anders said. Legal Statement. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollys and stared at him in utter confusion. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. "I will always tell the person that if it was a quarter, I would give it back, but since it is a penny, I'm keeping it. I will always tell the person that if it was a quarter, I would give it back, but since it is a penny, Im keeping it., Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. And you think we have the time to count half a million pennies for you? she laughed. So he decided it was time to cash in. Total Savings. Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs. The final amount was certainly not small. If I hadnt turned them in yesterday, I was not going to stop.. Copyright 2012-2023 Social Sweethearts GmbH. But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. News-Star. It eventually became so much of a hobby that he would deliberately avoid ever spending pennies. Having collected pennies since the late 1960s, the 73-year-old from Louisiana finally deposited the savings in his bank to pay for a dental bill. "Jack saved nickels as I saved pennies and every nickel that passed through my hands I would save for him," he said. When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. (Fox 14). It seems like Anders steady patience and consistent well-wishing has paid off for him. Otha Anders had been collecting pennies for more than 4 decades and had always put his faith in them as he was a religious man. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I would say hes done a lot of collecting over the years., Vice President Jennie Cole also said that Anders was a long-time customer whom they wanted to help. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," he said. Specifically, coins made of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and even copper fluctuate in value over time but generally become more valuable. -- A Louisiana man recently cashed in hundreds of thousands of saved pennies, rollingthem to the bank on a dolly after collecting them for more than four decades.According to the Louisiana News Star, Otha Anders, 73, started collecting pennies 45 years ago when he spotted one on the ground. As it was, the $5,136 worth of pennies took five hours for Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, to count and process. 'Dream big', 'never give up'; Sen. Murray's advice to young girls in the U.S. 'Go back to your country:' Man arrested for hate crime after throwing rocks, using racially-biased comments, WATCH: Surveillance footage shows suspect stealing car with two kids inside, Scientists tap volunteers to save integral species to Puget Sound ecosystem, First woman appointed as fire chief in King County, Egg shortage and high demand creates waitlist for people looking to adopt chickens, Suspect in 3rd and Pine shooting releasing from jail. He took it as a sign to pray and give thanks. This means that on an average day, he had collected around 31 pennies. Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.". If I would see a penny when Im gassing up, on the ground, or in a store, it would be a reminder to stop right there and say a prayer, he said. Pennies are small both in size and worth, but as a popular Indiansaying goes, "Drops of water collected eventually become a flowing stream." . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Anders says he plans to use the cash to help pay a dental bill. He had always been a religious man and his faith had grown stronger as the years passed.His faith was how his penny obsession all started. I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated, Anders told the site. Even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. In all, Anders had collected enough pennies to earn him over $5,000! They seem somewhat worthless, save for the moments when we find pennies on the ground that promise us a day filled with luck. A few people have the profitable habit of collecting coins over a long period of time and cashing them in for good money at the end. (Fox 14) A Louisiana man who collected pennies for almost half a . The News Star reports that thehabit was first ignited when he found a penny lying on the ground. Total Savings. The woman behind the counter looked at him in disbelief. Since Anders could have collected a small fortune, he made it a point to have his collection covered under his house insurance, but when he renewed it, they turned him away. Cats And Cucumbers: Why Are Cats Afraid Of Cucumbers? In total, then, Anders had collected 513,614 pennies in 45 years, or 16,425 days. Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs. The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill.It is said that the world works in mysterious ways, and for Otha Anders and the result of his penny collection, that motto is certainly true! ", | Special to The (Monroe, La.) He also always made sure that whenever he made a purchase with cash, his change contained at least three to four pennies. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. A Louisiana man finally decided to cash in hundreds of thousands of pennies that hed been saving for more than half his life, raking in more than $5,000 total, the News-Star reports. Subscribe here:https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1. I would guesstimate about 400-500,000 pennies?. He watched over in-school suspended children and absolutely loved his job. This is a staggering number! How many are there?, she asked. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". While he was working as a supervisor for in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board, students found out about Anders quirk and began to save pennies to sell to him. A Louisiana man who collected pennies for more than 45 years has now cashed in 513,614 of them. While he may not be able to amass another collection so large, we are sure that the happiness that comes from the act of collecting the coins will only continue to multiply. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. There have been days where I failed to pray and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.". But why? Anders took his haul to the Ruston Origin Bank. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Otha Anders of Louisiana had spent the past 45 years picking up pennies he found in the streets and putting these inside his giant piggy banks made of water jugs. For anyone who's trying to work it out, that's $114.14 a year, Anders was able to collect by picking up dirty old pennies left forgotten on the side of a street. According to the . Believe me, if I had it my way, Id keep these pennies forever.The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. "If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it,"he said. After 45 years of saving, Anders was able to put the money to good use and spend it on a dental bill that had just been issued to him. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. A lot of us dont really mind the coins in our pocket, especially the ones with the smallest values but there are those who have proven that even the smallest coins can bring in a lot of cash; although youve got to spend decades to collect a lot to actually give you that much money! When the manager walked out to see who was causing all the ruckus, his face lit up at the sight of Anders. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". We could only imagine how many weeks they would have spent on Othas collection if there was no machine to help them count. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. So, he paid them for pennies? When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. With the help of friends and family, Otha Anders wheeled in 15 water jugs full of pennies to the bank in Ruston. Otha Anders started collecting pennies because he became "convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an . But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. He explained, I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection., If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it, I will always tell the person that if it was a quarter, I would give it back, but since it is a penny, Im keeping it. But collecting pennies was more than a hobby for Anders. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I know its a crazy amount but this is a dear collection of mine that I need to cash out. Anders is a beautiful example of how all of us can learn to be thankful for the small things. AREVIK 25.12.2022 1.1k. How would they be able to count all these pennies? I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.. To him, it was a small and simple quirky habit but over time, it didn't look so small anymore. But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible!When the manager walked out to see who was causing all the ruckus, his face lit up at the sight of Anders. He explained to the outlet the coins hold meaning for him. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. Although Anders didnt have time on his side, he did have volume. Wow. He approached the questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to cash his pennies in. To get the pennies to the Ruston Origina Bank in Ruston, LA, Anders needed help.He ended up getting a couple of his friends to help move the five-gallon jugs full of pennies into his truck and then into the bank. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orav4IyjgtE. Since then, Anders had been piling up the pennies, refusing to spend them and always making sure that whenever he bought something, his change had three or four pennies in it. This 73-Year-Old Man Has Collected Pennies For 45 Years And Now He's Cashing Out For 45 years, Otha Anders saved his pennies. The plastic jugs were hacked open by an ax and hammer. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. "He did likewise with pennies for me." "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," she said. Anders wasa supervisor for in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board in Louisiana, and when his students found out about his habit of collecting pennies, they would save up their money to sell to him. The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill. Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs.There were simply too many to count so Anders could only guess that his collection contained hundreds of thousands of pennies but really, he had no idea. When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. For anyone whos trying to work it out, thats $114.14 a year, Anders was able to collect by picking up dirty old pennies left forgotten on the side of a street. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The same with coins that hold an error. That amount was deposited into his account Tuesday to go toward a recent dental bill. With all the pennies this guy had, he must've been very, very lucky. You know you see pennies all over. After 45 years of saving the coins and storing them in five-gallon jugs, he wheeled his collection in on a dolly to see how much he had. The plastic jugs had to be opened with an ax and hammer, and the bank was not prepared for such a large collection even though Anders had called a week prior to inform them that he would be coming with a colossal amount of pennies. It escalated from there. Which side of value did they fall under? After over four decades of this spectacular collection, we wish Anders the very best for his future penny collections as well! Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Back in 2015, he had to finally cash them in because his homeowner's insurance policy no longer covered his pennies, and he needed some extra cash. It was by far the most exciting thing that had happened at the bank in a while! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. . "There have been days where I failed to pray and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.". Back in 2015, he had to finally cash them in because his homeowner's insurance policy no longer covered his pennies, and he needed some extra cash. Anders kept his pennies in five-gallon plastic jugs. The coin reminded him to pray and give thanks. We may earn a commission from links on this page. He approached the questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to cash his pennies in. It took the bank over 5 hours to count the money and thats through a machine! Anders said, I would never spend a penny, I would break a dollar before giving up a penny. When the children he looked after figured out how important pennies were to him, they wanted to contribute. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Every penny he had, he kept. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Thats especially true when it comes to coins - but - only certain kinds of coins. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading with her again. He said Brown could only redeem his nickels with pennies and he could redeem his pennies only with nickels. Bank Vice President Jennie Cole told reporters that it was not a typical day at the bank when Anders rolled in with his collection of pennies on a dolly. I wanted to fill five five-gallon water jugs. Their worth is even less still if the government issuing the coins no longer exists. Anders said he has truly enjoyed looking at his penny collection to the extent that in the 1970s, when the U.S. government offered a $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, he refused to cash in his collection. But now, he was about to find out. Otha Anders, 73, does. "There have been days where I failed to pray and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.". He was so serious about his rather unique hobby that he ended up collecting 55 large water jugs filled with pennies. Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He would just find them and save them. The counting and processing of the coins took a total of about five hours, according to the News-Star. But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.. If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it, he said. Everyone was staring at him.She looked at him in disbelief. It squeaked and squawked as the wheels turned in pursuit. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. Anders, 73-years-old at the time, said that it quickly became an incentive to pray and give thanks very often. I would say hes done a lot of collecting over the years.. I would never spend a penny, he told the News-Star. Not many people think too much of a penny - it is just one cent. Then all day long, you'll have good luck." And his "luck" came in the shape of a cool five grand. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This just goes to show that the special meaning he had created with his pennies served him through his life, andstrengthening his relationship with God through this collection was worth more than the money he'd make. Senior vice president of the Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, Ryan Kilpatrick said that they were not prepared for such a huge amount to come rolling through their bank. Man cashes in pennies he's been saving for 45 years. How would they be able to count all these pennies? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Seventy Five Gallons "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". "If I was at someone's house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it," he said. He couldnt believe it. You have to find 100 of them to get a dollar - it is a lot of work. And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. Anders and his friends hauled in the containers one by one. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Otha Anders has collected over half a million pennies during the last 45 years. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. After all, the magic of life is preserved in the ordinary, everyday things, and it is up to us to find it. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. Cashed in 513,614 of them thing that had happened at the sight of the coins no longer exists the Star... 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