Posted on 04/20/2006 10:31:54 AM PDT by jasoncann
See a penny, pick it up, and if you're lucky it's worth a thousand bucks.
Scott Travers, Coin Collector: "It's fun it's exciting and for someone who finds one of these pennies it's going to be profitable too."
Scott Travers, author and coin connoisseur, is putting three pricey pennies randomly into circulation, all to raise interest in coin collecting.
Scott Travers, Coin Collector: "I want people to look at their pocket change and understand there's excitement and the potential for profit."
And what a profit it is. He is circulating a 1914 'D' (minted in Denver) Lincoln cent valued at $300. He's already released a 1908 'S' (for San Francisco) Indian Head penny valued at $200, and today he'll release a 1909 'S VDB' valued at a whopping $1,000 on the streets.
Here's what to look for on that 1909, $1,000 penny:
On the back, on the bottom, between the two stocks of wheat are the initials 'VDB' for the man who engraved the coin. Donald Brigandi, at Brigandi Coin Co. also has a 1909 'S VDB' worth a pretty penny.
Charles Perez: "What's the value on a coin like this?"
Donald Brigandi, Brigandi Coin Co.: "This is $1,200."
So the next time you stop at the corner deli to pick something up you may get more back than just a little change. Travers spent his first penny buying a street corner pretzel.
Now, who's to say where he'll spend the others, and who may knowingly, or unknowingly, pick it up.
Scott Travers, Coin Collector: "1909 'S VDB' Lincoln cent, a $1,000 in your pocket change. Go out there and find the coin."
Travers is a bozo. Sadly, the pennies will probably end up rolling down a storm drain never to be seen again.
That is a fun idea. :)
Yeah, people think they're too good to pick up a penny. they turn their noses up at that.
I predict this story is the climax of the whole affair.
When I was a kid and my parents helped at the "blockhouse" snack stand at the local little league complex, I must have eyeballed 80 bajillion pennies looking for a 1909S-VDB. Found a lot of good stuff, but not that one.
I went to a burger king...got a $5 bill in change. The color was wrong so for a second I thougt I got a fake bill.
but it was a 1934 silver certificate... prolly some kid stole it from his grandparents and used it for a burger and fries.... I kept it.
They've already been melted down by copper scavengers.
I think your right. Seems like a waste.
Someone will likely shove it into a windowframe to keep their window from rattling.
I tried getting into it again, but it was more fun as a kid when I had to either find the coins in circulation, save up to buy them at flea markets, or get them as gifts from my grandmother's stash. (She had a nice stash of silver dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars.)
Now I can buy just about any coin I want (within reason) so it just doesn't seem as fun.
It's getting harder and harder to find the wheaties in circulation. I remember finding a lot more of them when I was a kid.
Or some kid will take it and run it through one of those presses that deforms a penny into an ellipse and adds a character of some sort to it. LOL!
"He is circulating a 1914 'D' (minted in Denver) Lincoln cent valued at $300. He's already released a 1908 'S' (for San Francisco) Indian Head penny valued at $200, and today he'll release a 1909 'S VDB' valued at a whopping $1,000 on the streets."
Not for long. Once they loose their graded condition due to wear, "usually mint state", they wont have anything close to that value.
had a regular customer that came into my hotel about once every three months, every tip i got from him was a mint $1 silver certificate- but he paid with normal bills.
One time I was at a party and someone asked the host where the bathroom was. He said "follow me" and walked into his roommates bedroom, drank the last shot out of a Jack Daniels quart bottle and broke the bottle on the guys dresser in one great whack. He then inserted the remaining neck of the JD bottle into a 5 gallon jug half filled with pennies as a funnel and proceeded to urinate into it.
I asked the guy why he was doing that to his roommate and he says "because I hate the guy and want him to move out."
I asked why he hated the guy and he says "because he doesn't drink enough."
"THAT BASTARD!" I replied and leaked into the jug myself, as did everyone at the party until it was full. After that everyone turned to the poor roommates bed and dresser drawers
When it was about 10 minutes before the roommate was due home from work the host lost his nerve and decided he better pour the urine out. Only problem is that it was quite heavy and as he was attempting to pour it into the sink he slipped and dropped it causing 5 gallons of piss and pennies to crash and break all over the bathroom floor.
"I'm getting out of here" he says and runs out of the apartment. The rest of us were right behind him and we saw the roommate driving up as we were driving out.
I found out later that the host didn't even live there.
LOL!! What a cynic!!
I got a wheatie in change today, but it was a 1951-D.
I am one of the few who will admit I can relate to your story.
However it is very unique!
Those were the bad ol days just out of high school 25 years ago. I was feeling a bit nostalgic.
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