But collecting pennies was more than a hobby for Anders. "Whenever I would see a penny, I would always say a prayer of thanks. Not many people think too much of a penny - it is just one cent. . 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. Im not sure exactly, Anders said. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. Man Cashes in Pennies He Collected for 45 Years, Gets Over $5,000 from Bank, Woman Opens Emergency Exit, Walks on Planes, Girls Facebook Brag Ends Up Costing Her, Pedicab Driver Shot While Trying to Surrender, 91-Year-Old Professor Goes Viral in Online Class. But that's not all. After that first coin, Anders said his penny pile began to grow and he ultimately stopped spending pennies and always made sure whenever he made a purchase, his change contained at least three to four pennies. The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill. And they werent the only establishment to do so. 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. You know you see pennies all over. "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.". Ruston resident Otha Anders started saving his first penny more than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," she said. We could only imagine how many weeks they would have spent on Othas collection if there was no machine to help them count. 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.". Even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. 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 News Star reports that thehabit was first ignited when he found a penny lying on the ground. This means that on an average day, he had collected around 31 pennies. In all, Anders had collected enough pennies to earn him over $5,000! But when they finally did, the amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Youtube / Kray K NewsAnders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years.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. What began as something fun turned into a full-blown obsession and an all-consuming hobby. It was actually his religion that started the penny collecting. But the amount he eventually managed to collect was staggering. They remind him to stay thankful, he says. . 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. All rights reserved. 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! NEW YORK DAILY . As a supervisor for in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board, Anders said his students learned about his penny fascination and would save them up to sell to him. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What if you collected pennies as a hobby? And with hundreds of thousands of coins, perhaps one had a valuable error. 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. 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. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. "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.". Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading to her again. 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. "I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful," said Anders, 73. October 29, 2015 By Coin Update 13 Comments. 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. It eventually became so much of a hobby that he would deliberately avoid ever spending pennies. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. 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. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful, the 73-year-old told the news site. The total came out to a whopping $5,136. This man had saved pennies for 45 years and just picked them up from the street. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "If I was at someone's house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it," he said. 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! I would never spend a penny, he told the News-Star. So, he paid them for pennies? Thats especially true when it comes to coins but only certain kinds of coins. 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.Im not sure exactly, Anders said. But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.. All rights reserved. RUSTON, La. I would never spend a penny, he said. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. Otha Anders, 73, does. 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. I would guesstimate about half a million pennies?. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. How many?, the woman asked. The coin reminded him to pray and give thanks. And with hundreds of thousands of coins, perhaps one had a valuable error. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. However, with the help of friends and family,Anders made it to the bank with his tremendous collection. 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 did likewise with pennies for me." 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. I know its a crazy amount but this is a dear collection of mine that I need to cash out. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Otha Anders has collected over half a million pennies during the last 45 years. 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. His quirky hobby turned out to be a brilliant reminder of how much little things matter. He probably would have kept his obsession up if he hadnt figured out some when he had to renew his home affairs. Disclaimer: All content is provided for fun and entertainment purposes only. The 73-year-old has some modest plans to spend his money. 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. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollys and stared at him in utter confusion. But he still had some cash left over which he put towards a family trip and church donations. into his account to go toward a recent dental bill. "After collecting the copper for decades, Anders deposited his haul on Tuesday to pay for some recent dental work. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". By Christie. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated," he said. 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. With all the pennies this guy had, he must've been very, very lucky. Man cashes in pennies he's been saving for 45 years. He looked at lost old pennies on the floor as his very own personal gift from God. Anders and his friends hauled in the containers one by one. You know you see pennies all over. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. All Rights Reserved. Anders worried they would turn him away. How long has Otha Anders been saving his pennies? Breanna Edwards. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. News-Star. The hobby turned into an obsession that would consume a lot more of his free time than what his wife like. The man who collected coins for 45 years took it to the bank with a truck and counted how much money he managed to collect during this time. Hed been saving pennies he found on the street for 45 long years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs. Otha Ander was a supervisor on the Jackson School Board and was passionate about his job. 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Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The manager of Ed's. He told USA Today, "I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful. Otha Anders started collecting pennies in the late 1960s. "If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it,"he said. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," he said. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. At the end of the labor intensive counting, the bank informed Otha he had saved a total of $5,136.14 all those 45 years! It seems like Anders' steady patience and consistent well-wishing has paid off for him. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970s. "I would never spend a penny," he told the Star. Not many people think too much of a penny it is just one cent. Coins made of base metals, such as aluminum, have very little worth. 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. I would guesstimate about 400-500,000 pennies?. While he only deposited them when he found. Published: 10/28/2015 8:46:47 AM. Asian-American Affairs Reporter, HuffPost. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970's. He would just find them and save them. 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 pennies were then poured into the coin machine with small plastic buckets. He walked into the bank, rolling a dolly behind him. Guess how many pennies were in his 15 5-gallon jugs. Then, one day, he decided to turn in the loose change. Are you asamazed by this beautiful story as we were? Studies have shown that gratitude is a sure-fire way to a path of greater happiness in life. Which side of value did they fall under? That was the goal, but I couldnt stop. Over a few years, a random collection of coins can amount to a fancy night out or give you the exact amount to buya beautiful outfit. They seem somewhat worthless, save for the moments when we find pennies on the ground that promise us a day filled with luck. That amount was deposited into his account Tuesday to go toward a recent dental bill. -- 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. 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. It'll go toward a recent dental bill, the Ruston Daily Leader reported. Even over 45 years, its hard to acquire a collection of over 500,000 pennies without a little help. Ultimately, Anders went out of his way to stop spending pennies and made sure that after every purchase, his change contained at least 3 to 4 pennies. It may inspire them to start a collection of their own. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, she said. 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. Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated,"he told the news outlet. For over 45 years, Anders had been collecting pennies, storing them in 5-gallon water jugs. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.". Otha Anders saved his first penny more than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. Its shocking, for sure, he told ABC News. 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. 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! 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. Start a collection containing over half a million pennies during the last years! 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