This is a staggering number! An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. It escalated from there. But once his penny pile began to grow, he became more and more obsessed.So compelling was his idea that penny's represented a god-given gift that he ultimately decided to stop spending pennies himself. You know you see pennies all over. Its unclear how much his collection weighed, but using the U.S. Mints estimate of 2.5 grams a coin, it might have been around 2,800 pounds. Jul 2, 2018. Fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs and half a million pennies later, Anders on Tuesday deposited $5,136.14 into his account to go toward a recent dental bill. He probably would have kept his obsession up if he hadnt figured out some when he had to renew his home affairs. Anders loved his pennies, they were his prized collection. He was a man on a mission, and when his students at school found out about his strange fascination, they wanted to help.Theyd often come to his class with a handful of pennies to give to him but Anders had principles. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. Youtube / Kray K News. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny". Photo credit: United News International / YouTube. How would they be able to count all these pennies? But his wife couldnt help but question one habit that he had had for the last 45 years. Though he reached out to the bank to notify them about the pennies, the bank's senior vice president Ryan Kilpatrick told the outlet he was shocked at the actual number. The manager of Ed's. If I hadnt turned them in yesterday, I was not going to stop.. How would they be able to count all these pennies? It would go towards his recent dental bill, he told theNews Star. For over 45 years, Anders had been collecting pennies, storing them in 5-gallon water jugs. He approached the questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to cash his pennies in. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Benjamin Franklin once said a penny saved is a penny earned, but he probably didn't think of saving over a million of them. The final amount was certainly not small. It wasn't easy to transport these jugs to the bank, especially as the total weight was more than 2,800 pounds. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. That is a lot of pennies. Total Savings. I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated. And that he did, he paid them for the pennies they gave him. In the early 70s, Ota Anders took up an unusual hobby: he began to collect coins in denominations of only 1 penny. As it was, the $5,136 worth of pennies took five hours for Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, to count and process. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Employees gathered to see the first five-gallon container being counted. The woman stared at him in disbelief. Anders new home insurance didnt cover his penny collection, so he reluctantly decided it was time to visit the bank and cash in his most prized possession. Anders and his friends hauled in the containers one by one. He also always made sure that whenever he made a purchase with cash, his change contained at least three to four pennies. He said Brown could only redeem his nickels with pennies and he could redeem his pennies only with nickels. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Although Anders didnt have time on his side, he did have volume. 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. But what was he going to do with his saved money? He also stopped spending pennies on purchases, preferring instead to put them in emptywater jugs, the Star reports. It does not store any personal data. Tell us your tales of coin collections if you have any,and don't forget to show this story to your friends as well! It was by far the most exciting thing that had happened at the bank in a while!The plastic jugs were hacked open by an ax and hammer. The two men could only redeem their preferred coins with an exchange; Anders got a penny for a nickel and vice versa. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, Cole said. Legal Statement. It was a problem that left him devastated. That first penny, he told the Star, reminded him that life is a gift from God. The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. The Louisiana teacher loved looking at his massive collection so much that in the 70s, when the U.S. government began to offer a $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, he wasn't even a little tempted to take the extra cash. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. "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. He was reluctant to give his years of work away, but Anders also said that he has not lost the joy that comes from collecting coins. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970s. Otha Anders was a 73-year-old who worked with the Jackson School Board. Although Anders didnt have time on his side, he did have volume. But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! 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. And you think we have the time to count half a million pennies for you? she laughed. "If I was at someone's house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it," he said. When Anders picked up his very first penny, he had no idea that hed continue picking them up for 45 years. The trolley wheels squeaked as he walked into the bank. He was so serious about his rather unique hobby that he ended up collecting 55 large water jugs filled with pennies. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. "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.". Its shocking, for sure, he said. Cole said a machine counted the coins that saves much time, and Origin Bank's part is to help get the pennies counted, so Anders can get to his destination. Anders didnt know that after he picked up his first penny, more would keep appearing through his love. Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. 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. "I would never spend a penny," he told the Star. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.". Anders had no idea how much money his collection would amount to. They were much heavier than youd think, and not to mention, there were fifteen of them! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He watched suspended kids and loved his job. The News Star reports that thehabit was first ignited when he found a penny lying on the ground. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Thats what happened to the owner of a 1943-S Lincoln Wheat penny. Anders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years. Any penny he receives as change or anything he finds in his walks, he puts inside the 5-gallon water jugs. "I would never spend a penny," Anders said. RUSTON, La. Not many people think too much of a penny - it is just one cent. When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. As it turns out, he knew Anders quite well, Anders was a longtime, loyal customer who never gave them any problems so immediately knew they wanted to help him. Anders was hesitant to finally hand in his collection, which he refused to do back in the 1970s, when the government was offering a $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, the News-Star notes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. I never failed to do that. It squeaked and squawked as the wheels turned in pursuit. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated,"he told the news outlet. For Anders, the process of collecting the coins meant more than the money he would make. But now, he was about to find out. According to the . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The News-Star reports that employees at Ruston . "I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me always to be thankful," Anders told the Star.From that moment on, Anders picked up every penny he spotted. Your health is important to us. Even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Hed been saving pennies he found on the street for 45 long years. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The coin reminded him to pray and give thanks. Otha Anders started collecting pennies in the late 1960s. This meant that he soon had more pennies than he knew what to do with. Otha Ander was a supervisor on the Jackson School Board and was passionate about his job. How many are there?, she asked. . When the 77 year old man from Louisiana was asked what motivated him, he said that finding a penny on the ground was akin to a sign from God, reminding him that he should always be thankful. They seem somewhat worthless, save for the moments when we find pennies on the ground that promise us a day filled with luck. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. How many were in there? Updated: 8:46 AM EDT October 28, 2015 . Five of Anders' closest friends and family helped him and bank employees load the coins from the back of a pickup truck into the company's coin room. "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.". Otha Anders saved his first penny more than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. In the end, Anders was always fair about how he came across his pretty pennies. The same with coins that hold an error. Have you ever felt bogged down by the change in your wallet that feels like extra weight that you'll never get rid of? See a penny pick it up and if you're like this guy who did that for 45 years you could eventually be walking away with a nice chunk of change.literally. He took . Recently, he needed some money and thought that he did have some money stashed in his house; although he wasnt sure how much he actually had. How would they be able to count all these pennies? 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.. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. "I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped. Coins made of base metals, such as aluminum, have very little worth. The 73-year-old's homeowner's insurance didn't cover his collection, he told ABC News, that although he long ago surpassed his goal of filling five 5-gallon water jugs with coins, he found himself unable to stop collecting. "Jack saved nickels as I saved pennies and every nickel that passed through my hands I would save for him," he said. It reportedly took five hours for machines to count all the change. Thats why they had so much value to me., If his homeowners insurance policy hadnt stopped covering the pennies, Anders says there wouldve been no turning back. It all just started that one day when he found a penny in the street; he went on to collect more. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. He says he finally cashed in because his insurance policy won't cover the collection, according to the News-Star. All eyes were on the man pulling the trolley behind him. He felt that every penny he found was a gift from God, but he had no idea that he would find many more gifts throughout his life. Although Anders collection contains mostly modern pennies, its crazy to think that if he held onto those coins long enough, theyd soon bring him a fortune as big as a million dollars! Nancy Bergeron/Ruston Daily Leader October 29, 2015 By Coin Update 13 Comments. Anders kept his pennies in five-gallon plastic jugs. But the amount he eventually managed to collect was staggering. It'll go toward a recent dental bill, the Ruston Daily Leader reported. He plans to put the money toward a recent dental bill, but he says he hasnt lost the joy that comes with collecting coins. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Otha Anders started collecting pennies because he became "convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an . Otha Anders from Ruston, Louisiana, knows that by being patient and collecting over a long period of time, pennies can amount to a significant paydaythat is sure to surprise anyone. -- A Louisiana man recently cashed in hundreds of thousands of saved pennies, rolling them to the bank on a dolly after collecting them for more than four decades. And the kids seemed to love him too.Anders was a family man with a loving wife and children who supported his every move. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. Pennies are small both in size and worth, but as a popular Indiansaying goes, "Drops of water collected eventually become a flowing stream." As it turns out, he knew Anders quite well Anders was a longtime, loyal customer who never gave them any problems so immediately knew the manager wanted to help him. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". It may inspire them to start a collection of their own. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Many people save spare change to cash in during rough financial times. Copyright 2021 Obsev.com All Rights Reserved, Man Who Saved Pennies For 45 Years Cashes Out. Then all day long, you'll have good luck." And his "luck" came in the shape of a cool five grand. But why? You know you see pennies all over. In the 1970s, when the government was offeringa $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, he still refused to cash in his collection, as per USA Today. Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! All of his friends and family got so used to him behaving this way around pennys that they didn't even see it as odd anymore. I would say hes done a lot of collecting over the years.. 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. One man, Otha Anders, is one of the rare exceptions in this regard because he's picked up every penny that he has ever come across for the last 45 years! However, Anders always made sure that every penny that came his way from others was compensated properly. Studies have shown that gratitude is a sure-fire way to a path of greater happiness in life. That amount was deposited into his account Tuesday to go toward a recent dental bill. 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. But when they finally did, the amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! But that's not all. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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! Anders collected pennies, not as a sign of greed but as a symbol of faith that he was being looked after by the man upstairs, the universe, the penny gods, or whatever you might believe in! But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. We could only imagine how many weeks they would have spent on Othas collection if there was no machine to help them count. Anders had put all the pennies he found into water jugs. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, she said. In all, Anders had collected enough pennies to earn him over $5,000! -- Otha Anders is a true believer in the phrase a pretty penny. For 45 years, up until Tuesday, he was the proud owner of a collection containing over half a million of them. Their worth is even less still if the government issuing the coins no longer exists. The 73-year-old had a family of his own. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.. His quirky hobby turned out to be a brilliant reminder of how much little things matter. "I would never spend a penny," he said. The bank manager was rather surprised to see this old man carting in the water jugs filled with money. Bank Vice President Jennie Cole said it was not a typical day at the bank when Anders had his collection of pennies rolled in on a dolly, but Anders is a longtime customer who they wanted to help. Author: Frededreia Willis. He had no idea, but clearly, this would result in a fortune. Which side of value did they fall under? He would just find them and save them. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "Our exchange became competitive by each trying to outdo the other and consequently our collections; his nickels, my pennies began to multiply," he said. But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.. He would have continued to keep them and collect more if it wasnt for one problem that he encountered when he renewed his home affairs. The final count: 513,614 pennies, which comes to a little over $5,136, Fox 14 reports. Are you asamazed by this beautiful story as we were? I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.. "I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated," he said. On his side, he was the proud owner of a collection containing over a. That came his way from others was compensated properly go toward a recent dental bill the... Growing over time questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to start a collection of their.... Count all these pennies customers, she said bill, the actual Anders! Even less still if the government issuing the coins no longer exists your... Happy to do so about to find out find out it was n't easy to these... 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