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American Flag made with Pennies and Dimes
Schatzy
Posts: 169
I was inspired by a post of a hotel floor made with pennies. I decided it would be cool to
make a craft project with pennies. I came up with an idea of making an American flag
with pennies and I used the dimes as stars. The flag contains 2622 pennies and 50
dimes. I got 3 $25 boxes of pennies to make the flag. The hardest thing about the
project was finding the bright red lincolns. During the search through 150 rolls, I found 2
dimes, 17 wheat backs (1 of them was from 1910 and the rest were from the 40's and
50's), 7 Canadian cents and 1 panama cent.
How I made it!!
I measured the pennies and decided that I wanted to do 3 rows per strip so I would
need 39 rows. I cut a 3/8" piece of plywood to 26.5" by 48". I used amazing goop
household adhesive to glue every penny down. During the process I learned I could only
glue about 3 rows down at a time or the penny's would move when I pushed them into
place. The process isn't as time consuming as one would think. I could do 3 rows in
about 20 minutes. To make the frame I bought some 3/4" x 3" x 8' oak. I used the table
saw to rip a grove in it so the flag would sit flush with the plywood. I was going to add
glass to the frame but I really didn't like the way it looked so I took the glass back out.
To preserve the pennies I sprayed the whole thing with a clear coat finish (matte finish).
After it dried you could even tell I sprayed it. I did test the clear coat before I sprayed
the whole thing to make sure it wouldn't do something weird. I used (6) metal brackets
to secure the frame to the plywood. I used a 200 lbs bracket to hang the flag on the
wall. The flag is hanging by the plywood back and not the oak frame. I thought the flag
may be too heavy for the frame to support.
So what it cost!!
Plywood......$10
Frame.........$25
Spray...........$5
Adhesive.....$10
Hanger...,....$15
Coins..........$31.22
Total...........$96.22
Overall I am very happy with the flag and I have already started a new bigger flag with an
added twist. I am going to do a 3' by 5' flag but I am going to make the stars out of
each state quarter that the star represents!!
make a craft project with pennies. I came up with an idea of making an American flag
with pennies and I used the dimes as stars. The flag contains 2622 pennies and 50
dimes. I got 3 $25 boxes of pennies to make the flag. The hardest thing about the
project was finding the bright red lincolns. During the search through 150 rolls, I found 2
dimes, 17 wheat backs (1 of them was from 1910 and the rest were from the 40's and
50's), 7 Canadian cents and 1 panama cent.
How I made it!!
I measured the pennies and decided that I wanted to do 3 rows per strip so I would
need 39 rows. I cut a 3/8" piece of plywood to 26.5" by 48". I used amazing goop
household adhesive to glue every penny down. During the process I learned I could only
glue about 3 rows down at a time or the penny's would move when I pushed them into
place. The process isn't as time consuming as one would think. I could do 3 rows in
about 20 minutes. To make the frame I bought some 3/4" x 3" x 8' oak. I used the table
saw to rip a grove in it so the flag would sit flush with the plywood. I was going to add
glass to the frame but I really didn't like the way it looked so I took the glass back out.
To preserve the pennies I sprayed the whole thing with a clear coat finish (matte finish).
After it dried you could even tell I sprayed it. I did test the clear coat before I sprayed
the whole thing to make sure it wouldn't do something weird. I used (6) metal brackets
to secure the frame to the plywood. I used a 200 lbs bracket to hang the flag on the
wall. The flag is hanging by the plywood back and not the oak frame. I thought the flag
may be too heavy for the frame to support.
So what it cost!!
Plywood......$10
Frame.........$25
Spray...........$5
Adhesive.....$10
Hanger...,....$15
Coins..........$31.22
Total...........$96.22
Overall I am very happy with the flag and I have already started a new bigger flag with an
added twist. I am going to do a 3' by 5' flag but I am going to make the stars out of
each state quarter that the star represents!!
Jaime 
~Proof Roosevelt Hoarder~ My Roosevelt Set
~Proof Roosevelt Hoarder~ My Roosevelt Set 0
Comments
Looking forward to the next one, the 50 state quarters for stars is a great idea
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I have seen an eagle made from merc dimes and lincoln cents too. It was more three dimensional though.
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Neat project and probably a money maker if you decided to sell. Bet an art gallery
would take one for sale.
bob
<< <i>Can you put a wave in it?
>>
Yes.....I have already been playing with that idea!!
Seriously though, excellent job!!
-Paul
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
That ranks up there with one of the coolest numismatic projects I have ever seen. Great praises befall you.
Jim
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Dennis
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It would take alot of drilling but I'm sure that if they were connected it could be hung horizionalty or vertically and it would wave in the wind. I wonder how it would tone?
Lafayette Grading Set
So what it cost!!
Plywood......$10
Frame.........$25
Spray...........$5
Adhesive.....$10
Hanger...,....$15
Coins..........$31.02
Total...........$96.02
Doing something you liked and that turned out so cool......$PRICELESS$
Great job buddy! Great job!
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But I do have 1 concern and maybe you have addressed it already is how to keep the shiny coins from turning the color of the red stripes? Did you put a coating on the shiny cents so they dont turn? or did you the whole thing then sprayed it after with a chemical. I love how it looks Very cool. I want one. How many cents per row?
added twist. I am going to do a 3' by 5' flag but I am going to make the stars out of
each state quarter that the star represents!!
It was pointed out how the dimes seem to form star shapes alongside the cents and sure enough they do , with the cent being slightly larger than a dime i'm wondering how you'll achieve the very nice effect using quarters ?
<< <i>But I do have 1 concern and maybe you have addressed it already is how to keep the shiny coins from turning the color of the red stripes? Did you put a coating on the shiny cents so they dont turn? or did you the whole thing then sprayed it after with a chemical. I love how it looks Very cool. I want one. How many cents per row? >>
I coated the whole thing with a clear matte finish. I hope it will not turn over time.
There is 20 rows of 69 and 19 rows of 68.
<< <i>It was pointed out how the dimes seem to form star shapes alongside the cents and sure enough they do , with the cent being slightly larger than a dime i'm wondering how you'll achieve the very nice effect using quarters ? >>
That is a good question.I was thinking of taking 4 pennies out to make each star with the state quarter.
The other idea I have is to put the quarter on top of the pennies.
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Isn't the 12th from the left on the 24th row down an '09-S VDB?
I like the idea about painting the flag behind the pennies.
against the quarter, you might have to dremel one on it's left
in half and possibly one at the very end of a stripe.
Depending how it flows out.
<< <i>
<< <i>It was pointed out how the dimes seem to form star shapes alongside the cents and sure enough they do , with the cent being slightly larger than a dime i'm wondering how you'll achieve the very nice effect using quarters ? >>
That is a good question.I was thinking of taking 4 pennies out to make each star with the state quarter.
The other idea I have is to put the quarter on top of the pennies.
>>
Very cool... for the next one w/ the quarters, I'd forget about painting the background, I just don't think it would look as cool as the wood/copper. For the stars, I'd lay the quarter on top of the 4 pennies like the above pic, but have all dark pennies except for the 4 that are right under the quarter. You could have those 4 pennies be bright red and it'll make those quarters pop out more. Alternatively, have those 4 pennies be bright steel cents and that would be really cool. You should be able to get a few rolls of steel cents (even the bright reprocessed ones) pretty cheaply.
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<< <i>
Alternatively, have those 4 pennies be bright steel cents and that would be really cool. You should be able to get a few rolls of steel cents (even the bright reprocessed ones) pretty cheaply. >>
Interesting!! I never thought of the steel cents.
I wanted to use proof roosvelts for the stars but I couldn't find any cheap enough!!
You can order through the website, using this code at the link: 9ZW104
<< <i>There was a coupon page in today's paper here from Littleton Coin Co. offering a set of uncirculated commemorative quarters from 1999-2010 (61 total) for $29.95 to new customers.
You can order through the website, using this code at the link: 9ZW104 >>
I don't want to get on there crazy mailing list.
I have been saving state quarter since 2003 so I have over $1000 worth now.
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I was thinking about making one for possibly the local VA hospital VA hospitial that I volunteer at. Sort of a wounded warrior project.
It's a neat project.
A question about artisitc presentation: How were the pennies selected for the blue field ? Was any coloration added to the pennies that were included in the blue field.
<< <i>It's a beautiful project, but just a question about coin protocol. Does anyone know if such a project would be considered defacing coins?
I was thinking about making one for possibly the local VA hospital VA hospitial that I volunteer at. Sort of a wounded warrior project.
It's a neat project.
A question about artisitc presentation: How were the pennies selected for the blue field ? Was any coloration added to the pennies that were included in the blue field. >>
I just used dirty old pennies for the blue field. I used nice shinny new pennies for the white strips.
I didn't want to add any color to my coins.
Here is the law on defacing coins
<< <i>Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined
at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation
as money within the United States; or
Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings
into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified,
scaled, or lightened—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. >>
Essentially, the key word here is 'fraudulently'. You can legally drive a nail through a coin, paint it ultramarine, melt it, or bend it into a pretzel - but the moment you try and use that coin as currency, you're breaking the law.