He looked at lost old pennies on the floor as his very own personal gift from God. "I became convinced that. 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. But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! Anders, 73, reportedly supervises in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board. 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! Seventy Five Gallons Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. If Anders had it his way, he would have kept his collection and continued to pick up pennies for many years to come but life would throw him a curveball. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". For Anders, the process of collecting the coins meant more than the money he would make. Every penny he had, he kept. This soon became an obsession until he started saving his own pennies for his hobby. He watched over in-school suspended children and absolutely loved his job. "Jack saved nickels as I saved pennies and every nickel that passed through my hands I would save for him," he said. He says he finally cashed in because his insurance policy won't cover the collection, according to the News-Star. Are you asamazed by this beautiful story as we were? I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.. 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. "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. It takes four quarters, 10 dimes, 50 nickels, or 100 pennies to equal a dollar. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollys and stared at him in utter confusion. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. To Anders, 73, the pennies represent more than a nice pay day. "I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.". Copyright 2012-2023 Social Sweethearts GmbH. But the amount he eventually managed to collect was staggering. A Louisiana man who collected pennies for almost half a century finally cashed in Tuesday. 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. "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 was able to put his money to good use and spend it on a dental bill that had just been issued to him.It was a happy coincidence that he found himself with more money just as an expensive bill landed in his lap. Cole said the bank will then send the pennies off to the FDIC, and the bank will receive their credit for them. I would guesstimate about 400-500,000 pennies?. But his wife couldnt help but question one habit that he had had for the last 45 years. And the kids seemed to love him too.Anders was a family man with a loving wife and children who supported his every move. Then all day long, you'll have good luck." And his "luck" came in the shape of a cool five grand. A Maryland Dumping Site Was Actually A Black Cemetery. Cats And Cucumbers: Why Are Cats Afraid Of Cucumbers? 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. It was a problem that left him devastated. Your health is important to us. "After collecting the copper for decades, Anders deposited his haul on Tuesday to pay for some recent dental work. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. It took the bank over 5 hours to count the money and thats through a machine! NEW YORK DAILY . Asian-American Affairs Reporter, HuffPost. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," he said. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/FactsVerse Image Credits :Like this content? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Otha Ander was a supervisor on the Jackson School Board and was passionate about his job. than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Then he took his jugs to a bank in Ruston, Louisiana to cash them in. They were much heavier than youd think, and not to mention, there were fifteen of them! 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. It squeaked and squawked as the wheels turned in pursuit. This man had saved pennies for 45 years and just picked them up from the street. He always made sure that his change had pennies in it. He had no idea, but clearly, this would result in a fortune. Otha Anders, 73, does. When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. The two men could only redeem their preferred coins with an exchange; Anders got a penny for a nickel and vice versa. Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading with her again. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Employees gathered to see the first five-gallon container being counted. If Anders had it his way, he would have kept his collection and continued to pick up pennies for many years to come but life would throw him a curveball. But now, since Anders homeowner's insurance policy does not cover his collection, he has reluctantly turned them in to Origin Bank. Total Savings. What if you collected pennies as a hobby? Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! With the help of friends and family, Otha Anders wheeled in 15 water jugs full of pennies to the bank in Ruston. Updated: 8:46 AM EDT October 28, 2015 . Thats especially true when it comes to coins - but - only certain kinds of coins. "Whenever I would see a penny, I would always say a prayer of thanks. But that's not all. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. Back in 2015, he had to finally cash them in becausehis homeowners insurance policy no longer covered his pennies, and he needed some extra cash. 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. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, Cole said. 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. How To Determine And Measure Your Ring Size Accurately, Teen Charged With Major Drug Trafficking Has Been Let Off. (Fox 14). The woman stared at him in shock. Everyone was staring at him.She looked at him in disbelief. 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. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. "I have not spent a penny in 40-plus years. Market data provided by Factset. The same with coins that hold an error. This means that on an average day, he had collected around 31 pennies. Anders loved his pennies, they were his prized collection. Its shocking, for sure, he told ABC News. The coin reminded him to pray and give thanks. But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.. 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. The 73-year-old had a family of his own. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. As it was, the $5,136 worth of pennies took five hours for Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, to count and process. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Guess Who Her Dad Is. Anders collected pennies for 45 years until he had filled up . After over 5 hours of counting and processing pennies in a machine at the bank, Anders had a total of$5,136.14 worth of pennies. When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Anders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years.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. In the early 70s, Ota Anders took up an unusual hobby: he began to collect coins in denominations of only 1 penny. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Where many people think of wishing on a penny, Otha Anders thinks of praying on a penny! He also started making more and decisions that would give him more pennies. Coins made of base metals, such as aluminum, have very little worth. "Our exchange became competitive by each trying to outdo the other and consequently our collections; his nickels, my pennies began to multiply," he said. This meant that he soon had more pennies than he knew what to do with. Author: Frededreia Willis. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970s. 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. But what was he going to do with his saved money? It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. 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. -- 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. Jul 2, 2018. He said Brown could only redeem his nickels with pennies and he could redeem his pennies only with nickels. . "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny". 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. 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. into his account to go toward a recent dental bill. Hed been saving pennies he found on the street for 45 long years. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated,"he told the news outlet. How many were in there? Which side of value did they fall under? It all just started that one day when he found a penny in the street; he went on to collect more. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the 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. This small event set the path for over four decades of Anders looking out for pennies, be it whatever he may have found on the ground or collecting all the pennies after a trip to the grocers. It took five hours to count the pennies; the plastic jugs were hacked open and then the coins were poured into the coin machine bit by bit. 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. 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. Anders, 73-years-old at the time, said that it quickly became an incentive to pray and give thanks very often. While that might not really be much if you count the years, it was already a huge sum considering he was just collecting pennies. He approached the questionable expression behind the desk and asked them to cash his pennies in. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Nancy Bergeron/Ruston Daily Leader 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 hobby turned into an obsession that would consume a lot more of his free time than what his wife like. But what was he going to do with his saved money? 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. And they werent the only establishment to do so. He would just find them and save them. 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. Tell us your tales of coin collections if you have any,and don't forget to show this story to your friends as well! 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. The same with coins that hold an error. I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful, Anders said. The counting and processing of the coins took a total of about five hours, according to the News-Star. The total came out to a whopping $5,136. For 45 years, up until Tuesday, he was the proud owner of a collection containing over half a million of them. Once the first penny was saved, there was no stopping Anders from growing his collection to become the record-breaker that it was in 2015. 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. Man Cashes In 500,000 Pennies Collected Over 45 Years. The final count: 513,614 pennies, which comes to a little over $5,136, Fox 14 reports. Otha Anders started collecting pennies because he became "convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an . Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs. A Louisiana man who collected pennies for more than 45 years has now cashed in 513,614 of them. Copyright 2021 Obsev.com All Rights Reserved, Man Who Saved Pennies For 45 Years Cashes Out. Anders didnt know that after he picked up his first penny, more would keep appearing through his love. You know you see pennies all over. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Legal Statement. But Anders says that he would never accept a penny from anyone, even his family, without giving them something in return. But now, he was about to find out. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. When the manager walked out to see who was causing all the ruckus, his face lit up at the sight of Anders. Change for the better: Man cashes in 45-year penny collection worth $5,000. 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. 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. I would guesstimate about half a million pennies?. For over 45 years, Anders had been collecting pennies, storing them in 5-gallon water jugs. You have to find 100 of them to get a dollar - it is a lot of work. Part of HuffPost News. When Anders picked up his very first penny, he had no idea that hed continue picking them up for 45 years. Have you ever felt bogged down by the change in your wallet that feels like extra weight that you'll never get rid of? 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! "If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it,"he said. Coins made of base metals, such as aluminum, have very little worth. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. Otha Anders of Ruston, Louisiana, cashed in a quite a collection of pennies at his local bank earlier this week. 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. 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. 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. "Jack saved nickels as I saved pennies and every nickel that passed through my hands I would save for him," he said. 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. "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. It seems like Anders steady patience and consistent well-wishing has paid off for him. 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! All rights reserved. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! When he finally took his collection over to the bank, tellers were staggered by the amount he had saved. In total, then, Anders had collected 513,614 pennies in 45 years, or 16,425 days. And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "I would never spend a penny," he said. October 29, 2015 By Coin Update 13 Comments. Says that he would make beautiful story as we do all of customers. Nice pay day Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading with her before pleading with her before with. The number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc told News... Were his prized collection. `` as the wheels turned in pursuit or delayed at! 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