Then he took his jugs to a bank in Ruston, Louisiana to cash them in. "I have not spent a penny in 40-plus years. It would go towards his recent dental bill, he told theNews Star. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. It seems like Anders steady patience and consistent well-wishing has paid off for him. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970's. He would just find them and save them. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Many people save spare change to cash in during rough financial times. We could only imagine how many weeks they would have spent on Othas collection if there was no machine to help them count. He felt that every penny he found was a gift from God, but he had no idea that he would find many more gifts throughout his life. 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! How would they be able to count all these pennies? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How many were in there? Anders said he would be truly remiss if he did not acknowledge his friend, Jack 'Domino Kid' Brown, for helping him with his penny collection. Thats especially true when it comes to coins but only certain kinds of coins. Anders sheepishly laughed with her before pleading to her again. The News-Star reports that employees at Ruston . 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. Which side of value did they fall under? While that might not really be much if you count the years, it was already a huge sum considering he was just collecting pennies. 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. They remind him to stay thankful, he says. Specifically, coins made of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and even copper fluctuate in value over time but generally become more valuable. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. But that's not all. 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. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny. 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. In total, then, Anders had collected 513,614 pennies in 45 years, or 16,425 days. Cool, isnt it? Having collected pennies since the late 1960s, the 73-year-old from Louisiana finally deposited the savings in his bank to pay for a dental bill. But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! They were much heavier than youd think, and not to mention, there were fifteen of them! But what was he going to do with his saved money? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. He also started making more and decisions that would give him more pennies. 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. We value his business, as we do all of our customers, she said. Man Cashes in Pennies He Collected for 45 Years, Gets Over $5,000 from Bank, Woman Opens Emergency Exit, Walks on Planes, Girls Facebook Brag Ends Up Costing Her, Pedicab Driver Shot While Trying to Surrender, 91-Year-Old Professor Goes Viral in Online Class. 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. "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.". Ultimately, Anders went out of his way to stop spending pennies and made sure that after every purchase, his change contained at least 3 to 4 pennies. Ruston resident Otha Anders started saving his first penny more than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. 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. "I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Believe me, if I had it my way, Id keep these pennies forever.The woman gave Anders a long look before calling her manager. 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. The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill.It is said that the world works in mysterious ways, and for Otha Anders and the result of his penny collection, that motto is certainly true! That led to a huge collection, stored in 15 five-gallon, plastic water jugs, adding up to about half a million pennies, which ultimately converted to $5,136.14. This means that on an average day, he had collected around 31 pennies. He probably would have kept his obsession up if he hadnt figured out some when he had to renew his home affairs. It was a problem that left him devastated. He plans to put the money toward a recent dental bill, but he says he hasnt lost the joy that comes with collecting coins. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated,"he told the news outlet. Seventy Five Gallons News-Star. What if you collected pennies as a hobby? "But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.". An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. The woman stared at him in shock. Disclaimer: All content is provided for fun and entertainment purposes only. Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. Otha Anders started more than 45 years ago when he found a penny on the ground and decided to save it. Their eyes popped as they took in the sight of the sheer amount of pennies. However, thats not true for all coins. But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. Scientists Have Linked Selfies To Narcissism, Addiction And Mental Illness, Essential Oils And Brain Injuries: Heres What You Are Not Being Told, Rare Monkeypox Virus Has Started Reappearing, Heres What You Need To Know, Heart Surgeon Speaks Out About The True Cause Of Heart Disease, Kind FedEx Driver Shovels Snow Off Womans Porch When He Learns Her Husband Died, Man Builds A Tiny Blue House At Narrow Alley As Revenge To Stop Neighbors From Using It, I Dont Want To Live Anymore And I Want To Die. Read This First. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. And with hundreds of thousands of coins, perhaps one had a valuable error. Legal Statement. This soon became an obsession until he started saving his own pennies for his hobby. 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. How would they be able to count all these pennies? It seems that this small habit was a touching way for Anders to strengthen his relationship with God. Anders worried they would turn him away. Market data provided by Factset. "If I was at someone's house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it," he said. He explained to the outlet the coins hold meaning for him. As it was, the $5,136 worth of pennies took five hours for Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, to count and process. Guess how many pennies were in his 15 5-gallon jugs. It is said that the world works in mysterious ways, and for Otha Anders and the result of his penny collection, that motto is certainly true ! 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. 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. Anders kept his pennies in five-gallon plastic jugs. But what was he going to do with his saved money? Photo credit: United News International / YouTube. This man had saved pennies for 45 years and just picked them up from the street. How To Determine And Measure Your Ring Size Accurately, Teen Charged With Major Drug Trafficking Has Been Let Off. Are you asamazed by this beautiful story as we were? The same with coins that hold an error. Otha Anders turned in a 45-year collection of pennies on Tuesday in 15 five-gallon water jugs. How many are there?, she asked. The man who collected coins for 45 years took it to the bank with a truck and counted how much money he managed to collect during this time. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Anders continued to collect his pennies for 45 years until he successfully filled fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs. Total Savings. Anders got in touch with the bank about a week ago to let them know he was bringing in a large amount of pennies, but senior vice president Ryan Kilpatrick told ABC News that nothing really prepares you for seeing fifteen 5-gallon jugs of copper rolled into your bank. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Anders and his friends hauled in the containers one by one. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it, he said. "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.". You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. What began as something fun turned into a full-blown obsession and an all-consuming hobby. The 73-year-old has some modest plans to spend his money. It reportedly took five hours for machines to count all the change. 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! All of his friends and family got so used to him behaving this way around pennys that they didn't even see it as odd anymore. And with hundreds of thousands of coins, perhaps one had a valuable error. You know you see pennies all over. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," she said. Man saves coins for 45 years, cashes in over $5,000 in pennies. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The total came out to a whopping $5,136. I would never spend a penny, he told the News-Star. So he decided it was time to cash in. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. It'll go toward a recent dental bill, the Ruston Daily Leader reported. However, Anders always made sure that every penny that came his way from others was compensated properly. 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. Anders wasa supervisor for in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board in Louisiana, and when his students found out about his habit of collecting pennies, they would save up their money to sell to him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orav4IyjgtE. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By. 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. Published: 10/28/2015 8:46:47 AM. 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. Even though one particular hobby of his raised a few eyebrows. -- A Louisiana man recently cashed in hundreds of thousands of saved pennies, rolling them to the bank on a dolly after collecting them for more than four decades. Anders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years. Thats why they had so much value to me., If his homeowners insurance policy hadnt stopped covering the pennies, Anders says there wouldve been no turning back. Here was a man who certainly lived by the adage "See a penny, pick it up. Otha Anders was a 73-year-old who worked with the Jackson School Board. A Louisiana man who collected pennies for more than 45 years has now cashed in 513,614 of them. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970s. Not many people think too much of a penny - it is just one cent. He had no idea, but clearly, this would result in a fortune. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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 Anders picked up his very first penny, he had no idea that hed continue picking them up for 45 years. Although Anders' collection contains mostly modern pennies, its crazy to think that if he held onto those coins long enough, theyd soon bring him a fortune as big as a million dollars! He explained, I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection., If I was at someones house and I found a penny, I would pick it up and I would keep it, I will always tell the person that if it was a quarter, I would give it back, but since it is a penny, Im keeping it. It was actually his religion that started the penny collecting. The process of counting took so much time because the coin bag had to be changed every 20 minutes after it would reach$50. Believe me, if I had it my way, Id keep these pennies forever. Asian-American Affairs Reporter, HuffPost. He took . Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Who would have thought a penny a day could someday bring you $5k! He looked at lost old pennies on the floor as his very own personal gift from God. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. 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. He says he finally cashed in because his insurance policy won't cover the collection, according to the News-Star. 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. Even over 45 years, its hard to acquire a collection of over 500,000 pennies without a little help. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. "If I would see a penny when on the ground, in the hallway, on the floor, or anywhere, I would automatically and invariably a prayer of thanks and I'd say, well this is God's way of reminding me that I should always be thankful," he told reporters. Anders said he started collecting the coins in the late-1960s. He watched suspended kids and loved his job. It does not store any personal data. -- 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. "Jack saved nickels as I saved pennies and every nickel that passed through my hands I would save for him," he said. During the five-hour process of counting the pennies, the plastic jugs were hacked open with an ax and hammer. I never failed to do that. 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. 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. Man cashes in pennies he's been saving for 45 years. 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