No Ordinary Customer
He strode into the bank, pulling a dolly that clattered noisily behind him, the wheels squeaking with every turn. All eyes in the room locked onto him. She stared in disbelief, her voice tinged with shock. “How many are there?” she asked. For 45 years, he had been collecting pennies from the street. He didn’t know the exact number, but one thing was certain—this was bound to be a fortune.
Otha Anders
Seventy-three-year-old Otha Anders, a supervisor on the Jackson School Board, oversaw in-school suspension for students—a job he thoroughly enjoyed. The kids seemed to love him just as much as he loved working with them. A devoted family man, Anders had the full support of his loving wife and children in everything he did, though one of his hobbies often sparked some curiosity.
Obsession
What started as a simple pastime quickly grew into a full-blown obsession, consuming much of his time and attention. “I came to believe that finding a lost or dropped penny was a little nudge from God, reminding me to always be grateful,” Anders explained. “There were days I forgot to pray, and almost without fail, a penny would appear to remind me.”
Praying On A Penny
While many people see a penny as a chance to make a wish, Otha Anders saw it as a reminder to pray. A deeply religious man, his faith only strengthened with time, and it was this faith that sparked his penny-collecting habit. He viewed each stray penny on the ground as a personal gift from God. What he didn’t realize, though, was just how many of those gifts he would end up receiving.
Quirky Habits
When Anders picked up his first penny, he had no clue that it would mark the beginning of a 45-year journey. As his collection grew, so did his obsession. His belief that each penny was a divine gift became so strong that he made the decision to stop spending them altogether. Every penny he found, he kept. But that was just the beginning.
A New Normal
He also made it a point to ensure that whenever he paid with cash, his change included at least three or four pennies. What started as a small, quirky habit soon grew into something much bigger. His friends and family became so accustomed to his penny obsession that it no longer seemed strange to them. However, the sheer number of pennies he eventually collected was nothing short of staggering.
Principles
“I never spent a penny,” Anders said. “I’d rather break a dollar than part with a single penny.” Driven by his mission, his peculiar passion soon caught the attention of his students, who were eager to help. They’d often come to class with handfuls of pennies for him. But Anders had his principles. “I never let anyone, not even my wife or children, give me pennies without fair compensation,” he explained. So, yes—he paid them for their pennies!
Stealing Vs Taking
For 45 years, Anders diligently collected pennies until he eventually filled fifteen five-gallon water jugs to the brim. With so many pennies, counting them all seemed impossible, so he could only estimate that his collection held hundreds of thousands. In truth, he had no idea of the exact amount. But now, he was about to find out.
Seventy Five Gallons
Over the years, Anders steadily amassed enough pennies to fill fifteen five-gallon water jugs. He would have kept collecting if not for a problem he encountered while updating his home affairs. This unexpected issue forced him to reconsider his collection, leaving him devastated.
Unexpected Problem
If it were up to Anders, he would have held onto his collection and continued picking up pennies for years. However, life had other plans. Given the potential value of his collection, Anders made sure it was covered under his home insurance. But when he tried to renew the policy, the insurance company refused. And they weren’t the only ones to turn him down.
No Cover
Gazing at his cherished penny collection, Anders felt a pang of regret. His new home insurance policy left these copper treasures vulnerable, forcing an unwelcome decision. With a heavy heart, he resolved to visit the bank and convert his prized possession into more practical currency. Though uncertain of its value, Anders couldn’t help but dream – he’d once read about a numismatist whose similar collection had unexpectedly yielded a fortune. As he carefully packed each coin, he wondered if his own copper cache might hold the same potential.
Value Of Time
While Anders’ collection largely consisted of contemporary pennies, the numismatic world held tantalizing possibilities. After all, history had shown how time could transform ordinary coins into extraordinary treasures. He knew the legendary tale of the 1943-S Lincoln Wheat penny – a simple manufacturing error had elevated that humble cent to a collector’s holy grail, commanding a price tag that rivaled a small fortune. As copper oxidized and years passed, such rarities only appreciated in value, their worth climbing ever higher. The intersection of scarcity, history, and human fascination with imperfection created a perfect storm of desirability in the coin collecting world.
Expensive Coins
In the realm of wealth and worth, time’s influence reigns supreme – particularly in the world of numismatics. Yet the passage of years doesn’t bestow value equally upon all currency. Like discerning alchemists, collectors know that certain elements hold the key: coins forged from precious metals – gleaming gold, sterling silver, lustrous platinum, rare palladium, and even humble copper – tend to appreciate as the decades unfold. Similarly, those bearing quirks of production – the coveted “error coins” – often transform into coveted treasures. But this temporal alchemy isn’t universal; not every coin evolves into a valuable relic simply by virtue of age.
Declining Worth
Common metals tell humble tales – aluminum coins whisper of minimal worth, their value diminishing further when stamped by defunct governments. As Anders surveyed his copper empire, he pondered where his collection stood in this numismatic hierarchy. Time hadn’t yet worked its appreciation magic on his modern currency, but quantity presented its own possibilities. Among the sea of copper disks – hundreds of thousands strong – perhaps lurked an anomaly, a tiny defect that could transform an ordinary penny into an extraordinary find. Like a prospector sifting through endless grains of sand for that elusive golden nugget, Anders wondered if his painstakingly amassed collection concealed such a prize.
Calling For Help
Anders needed assistance to transport the pennies to the Ruston Original Bank in Ruston, LA. He enlisted a couple of friends to help him load the five-gallon jugs filled with pennies into his truck and then into the bank. Surprisingly heavy, especially with a total of fifteen jugs, it was no easy task!
Disapproving Looks
As Anders wheeled his containers in on dollies, the bank employees gawked at him in complete bewilderment. Their eyes widened at the sight of the mountain of pennies he brought. Concerned they might refuse his request, Anders approached the skeptical-looking woman behind the counter and asked to cash in his coins. “How many?” she inquired.
Half A Million Pennies
Bank Vice President Jennie Cole told reporters it was anything but a usual day when Anders arrived with his dolly full of pennies. “I’m not exactly sure,” Anders replied. “But I’d estimate around half a million pennies.” The woman looked at him in disbelief and chuckled, “And you think we have the time to count half a million pennies for you?”
Calling The Manager
Anders chuckled awkwardly along with her before earnestly pressing his case. “I get that it’s a crazy amount, but this collection means a lot to me, and I really need to cash out. Trust me, if I could, I’d keep these pennies forever.” The woman studied Anders for a moment before picking up the phone to call her manager.
Familiar Face
How could they possibly count all these pennies? But when they finally did, the total amount Anders had saved over the years was astonishing! When the manager emerged to see what the commotion was about, his expression brightened at the sight of Anders. It turned out he knew Anders quite well…
Endless Counting
Anders was a longtime, loyal customer who had always been trouble-free, so it was clear the manager was eager to assist him. “We truly value Anders as a customer, just like we do all our clients,” he said. “If we can support him in his endeavors, we’re more than happy to help.”
Building Excitement
Anders and his friends brought in the containers one by one, drawing a crowd of employees eager to witness the counting of the first five-gallon jug. It was undoubtedly the most thrilling event the bank had seen in a long time! Armed with an axe and a hammer, they cracked open the plastic jugs. The penny processing took at least five hours as they fed them through a coin-counting machine, building anticipation until the total was finally unveiled.
Total Savings
After 45 years of collecting pennies, Anders amassed an astonishing $5,136.14. To break it down, that averages out to $114.14 a year, gathered from dusty old pennies he found abandoned on the streets. But the big question was: what would he do with his hard-earned savings?
Dental Bill
Anders wisely put his money to work by covering a dental bill that had just arrived. It was a fortunate coincidence that he had extra funds right when he needed them! Plus, he still had some cash leftover, which he dedicated to a family trip and donations to his church.
Keeping The Faith
Anders collected pennies not out of greed, but as a testament to his faith—whether you call it divine intervention, the universe, or the penny gods. His unique hobby became a powerful reminder of the value of small things. Who would’ve imagined that picking up a penny a day could eventually add up to over $5,000?
Serendipity
Anders’ steady patience and unwavering optimism have clearly paid off. Just as he needed it, an unexpected bonus arrived to help him cover a medical bill. They say the world works in mysterious ways, and for Otha Anders and his penny collection, that couldn’t be more accurate!
