There was an old Dave Berg cartoon in Mad magazine back in the '70s -- a middle age couple is walking down the street. The wife sees a penny on the sidewalk and tells her husband to pick it up. He declines, saying it's only a penny, why bother. She hectors him about the value of money and intimates that he's some kind of loser, so to shut her up he bends down to pick it up. The final panel, he's in a hospital bed in traction with the doctor saying he has a slipped disc and needs thousands of dollars worth of treatment. Husband's response: "Well, that's no problem. We have a PENNY as a down payment!"
Me at the Springfield coin show: 60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
I will pick up any change or bills that I see. I stop and pick them up when walking, jogging or biking. I like to find the real road kill ones that have been run over till there isn't much left of the coin.
This thread reminds me of another anecdote a friend once shared with me:
In the town where he grew up, there was local character who was known to be friendly, but a little slow. To taunt him, children would regularly hold up a nickel and a dime and offer to let this man keep one but not both. Invariably, the guy chose the larger of the two coins, the nickel, presumably because bigger had to mean more money. After several years my friend befriended this man, and determined that while he was character for sure, he was not nearly as slow as he let on, and so finally my friend asked him why if he knew the dime to be more valuable, did he keep claiming the nickel, to which the man answered:
"If I started taking the dime, kids would stop offering me free money."
To keep to the thread, I do occasionally pick up pennies. This year so far, I think I've picked up more than $100 face value in money of the ground (not all pennies haha).
I had a friend send me a story he had read about Pennies on the sidewalk, interesting reading -
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about. Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.
He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.
A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America" "No, not that; read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..
On BS&T Now: Nothing. Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up! Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.
Comments
You have to leave something for the sweeper.
Or the future detectors.
(Priest) BLASPHEMY he said it again, did you hear him?
Its not worth the potential germs I might get.
and relativity by seeing how far and accurately I can kick it.
Miles
They calculated that if you made something like 11 dollars or more an hour you wasted money picking them up ...if you made less it was worth it.
its on google somewhere
Groucho Marx
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
<< <i>And recently they started throwing cents on the floor, to watch me pick them up. >>
My brother and his friends used to chuck pennies down sewer grates. Aren't you glad you don't know them?
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
Lafayette Grading Set
last year ive found over 30 dollars from walking and biking riding
and i usually go out each day
this year i wanted to see what i found per each coin this year so i made a spread sheet
so far this year 517 pennies,31 nickels,65 dimes,20 quarters and 1 half ....----> grand total 18.72
snowman
In the town where he grew up, there was local character who was known to be friendly, but a little slow. To taunt him, children would regularly hold up a nickel and a dime and offer to let this man keep one but not both. Invariably, the guy chose the larger of the two coins, the nickel, presumably because bigger had to mean more money. After several years my friend befriended this man, and determined that while he was character for sure, he was not nearly as slow as he let on, and so finally my friend asked him why if he knew the dime to be more valuable, did he keep claiming the nickel, to which the man answered:
"If I started taking the dime, kids would stop offering me free money."
>>>My Collection
<< <i>
<< <i>One of these days I'll pick up a 72 DDO -- I just know it! >>
I did that last Fall >>
I've done that TWICE from bank rolls
wouldn't pick up a penny , or two.
She said it'd be stolen if in her purse it was goin'.
So she'd leave them for me and you.
I never understood Gayle, but she had a good set of
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
BTW: Cubby=Cub Fan
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.
He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.
He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.
A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America"
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?" "No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?"
"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..
Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up!
Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.