Guess Who Her Dad Is. It seems like Anders steady patience and consistent well-wishing has paid off for him. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, Cole said. NEW YORK DAILY . 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. Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.. He had saved pennies for most of his life a whole 45 years. But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. He plans to put the money toward a recent dental bill, but he says he hasnt lost the joy that comes with collecting coins. Cool, isnt it? His quirky hobby turned out to be a brilliant reminder of how much little things matter. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. RUSTON, La. And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. As it turns out, he knew Anders quite well Anders was a longtime, loyal customer who never gave them any problems so immediately knew the manager wanted to help him. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. There were simply too many to count so Anders could only guess that his collection contained hundreds of thousands of pennies but really, he had no idea. 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.". As the report tells it, Otha Anders started more than 45 years ago when he found a penny on the ground and decided to save it. Photo credit: United News International / YouTube. Studies have shown that gratitude is a sure-fire way to a path of greater happiness in life. Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading to her again. The woman stared at him in disbelief. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. The final amount was certainly not small. Otha Anders started more than 45 years ago when he found a penny on the ground and decided to save it. Anders said he started collecting the coins in the late-1960s. 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. Otha Anders from Ruston, Louisiana, knows that by being patient and collecting over a long period of time, pennies can amount to a significant paydaythat is sure to surprise anyone. The plastic jugs had to be opened with an ax and hammer, and the bank was not prepared for such a large collection even though Anders had called a week prior to inform them that he would be coming with a colossal amount of pennies. Believe me, if I had it my way, Id keep these pennies forever.The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. Are you asamazed by this beautiful story as we were? Copyright 2012-2023 Social Sweethearts GmbH. How long has Otha Anders been saving his pennies? How many are there?, she asked. You have to find 100 of them to get a dollar it is a lot of work. He also stopped spending pennies on purchases, preferring instead to put them in emptywater jugs, the Star reports. You know you see pennies all over. Guess how many pennies were in his 15 5-gallon jugs. By Laurie Hanna. But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. "I would never spend a penny,"he said. Its shocking, for sure, he said. But now, since Anders homeowner's insurance policy does not cover his collection, he has reluctantly turned them in to Origin Bank. Anders worried they would turn him away. "He did likewise with pennies for me.". Change for the better: Man cashes in 45-year penny collection worth $5,000. Anders says he plans to use the cash to help pay a dental bill. Have you ever felt bogged down by the change in your wallet that feels like extra weight that you'll never get rid of? The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill. But why? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The total came out to a whopping $5,136. It eventually became so much of a hobby that he would deliberately avoid ever spending pennies. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. All of us have random coins lying around thatdon't amount to much and cannot always be used to pay for something when we are out shopping. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," she said. It would go towards his recent dental bill, he told theNews Star. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. (Fox 14). Seventy Five Gallons -- 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. Although Anders didnt have time on his side, he did have volume. We could only imagine how many weeks they would have spent on Othas collection if there was no machine to help them count. 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. What began as something fun turned into a full-blown obsession and an all-consuming hobby. Cole said the bank will then send the pennies off to the FDIC, and the bank will receive their credit for them. Then, one day, he decided to turn in the loose change. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollys and stared at him in utter confusion. Could you have the discipline to collect coins for almost 50 years? 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. Hed been saving pennies he found on the street for 45 long years. Anders also added that his friend,Jack "Domino Kid" Brown, played a significant part in his penny collection. than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. Updated: 8:46 AM EDT October 28, 2015 . They seem somewhat worthless, save for the moments when we find pennies on the ground that promise us a day filled with luck. 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. This meant that he soon had more pennies than he knew what to do with. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. October 28, 2015 at 10:29 pm EDT. He never knew just how much money he would make. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. ", | Special to The (Monroe, La.) An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. Otha Anders, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. To him, it was a small and simple quirky habit but over time, it didn't look so small anymore. 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! In the end, Anders was always fair about how he came across his pretty pennies. You know you see pennies all over. Otha Anders saved his first penny more than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. It does not store any personal data. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The 73-year-old had a family of his own. The same with coins that hold an error. 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. (Fox 14) A Louisiana man who collected pennies for almost half a . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The Louisiana teacher loved looking at his massive collection so much that in the 70s, when the U.S. government began to offer a $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, he wasn't even a little tempted to take the extra cash. RUSTON, La. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The bank employees looked at Anders rolling his containers in on dollys and stared at him in utter confusion. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. 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. All rights reserved. He would just find them and save them. 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! Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! He took it as a sign to pray and give thanks. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If I hadnt turned them in yesterday, I was not going to stop.. But Edmond Knowles did. Anders took his haul to the Ruston Origin Bank. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Anders had put all the pennies he found into water jugs. "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.". Nancy Bergeron/Ruston Daily Leader However, thats not true for all coins. This means that on an average day, he had collected around 31 pennies. Man Cashes In 500,000 Pennies Collected Over 45 Years. If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it, he said. "I would break a dollar before I would spend a penny," he said. Everyone was staring at him.She looked at him in disbelief. 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. The manager of Ed's. 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. They remind him to stay thankful, he says. 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. Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. The News Star reports that thehabit was first ignited when he found a penny lying on the ground. He watched over in-school suspended children and absolutely loved his job. How many?, the woman asked. Thats especially true when it comes to coins but only certain kinds of coins. A Louisiana man who collected pennies for almost half a century finally cashed in Tuesday. He took . He always made sure that his change had pennies in it. The machine bags had to be changed for every $50. "If I was at someone's house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it," he said. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. "I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped. 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. However, Anders always made sure that every penny that came his way from others was compensated properly. It seems that this small habit was a touching way for Anders to strengthen his relationship with God. Anders said he has truly enjoyed looking at his penny collection to the extent that in the 1970s, when the U.S. government offered a $25 bonus for every $100 worth of pennies turned in, he refused to cash in his collection. This is a staggering number! It was actually his religion that started the penny collecting. To Anders, 73, the pennies represent more than a nice pay day. 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