Little did he know, just how many gifts he was going to receive. Here was a man who certainly lived by the adage "See a penny, pick it up. Anders saved up an incredible $5,136.14 through collecting pennies for 45 years. How many?, the woman asked. Anders, 73-years-old at the time, said that it quickly became an incentive to pray and give thanks very often. While that might not really be much if you count the years, it was already a huge sum considering he was just collecting pennies. ", | Special to The (Monroe, La.) 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 Ander was a supervisor on the Jackson School Board and was passionate about his job. During the five-hour process of counting the pennies, the plastic jugs were hacked open with an ax and hammer. Otha Anders of Ruston, Louisiana, cashed in a quite a collection of pennies at his local bank earlier this week. It squeaked and squawked as the wheels turned in pursuit. How many are there?, she asked. And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.". And as he got older his connection to god only felt stronger for it. Change for the better: Man cashes in 45-year penny collection worth $5,000. 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. It has long been said that time is the most valuable commodity. "I became convinced that. It was by far the most exciting thing that had happened at the bank in a while!The plastic jugs were hacked open by an ax and hammer. "But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife nor children, to give me pennies without being compensated," he said. And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. NEW YORK DAILY . How To Determine And Measure Your Ring Size Accurately, Teen Charged With Major Drug Trafficking Has Been Let Off. Recently, he needed some money and thought that he did have some money stashed in his house; although he wasnt sure how much he actually had. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Anders' new home insurance didnt cover his penny collection, so he reluctantly decided it was time to visit the bank and cash in his most prized possession.Anders had no idea how much money his collection would amount to. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through 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. The News-Star reports that employees at Ruston . "Our exchange became competitive by each trying to outdo the other and consequently our collections; his nickels, my pennies began to multiply," he said. As a supervisor for in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board, Anders said his students learned about his penny fascination and would save them up to sell to him. With all the pennies this guy had, he must've been very, very lucky. He also always made sure that whenever he made a purchase with cash, his change contained at least three to four pennies. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Im not sure exactly, Anders said. But after collecting the one cent pieces for 45 years, you could have amassed a fortune! They seem somewhat worthless, save for the moments when we find pennies on the ground that promise us a day filled with luck. After all, the magic of life is preserved in the ordinary, everyday things, and it is up to us to find it. Legal Statement. But what was he going to do with his saved money? Otha Anders was a 73-year-old who worked with the Jackson School Board. According to the . That was the goal, but I couldnt stop. To him, it was a small and simple quirky habit but over time, it didn't look so small anymore. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. So he decided it was time to cash in. He had no idea, but clearly, this would result in a fortune. 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. Back in 2015, he had to finally cash them in becausehis homeowners insurance policy no longer covered his pennies, and he needed some extra cash. Otha Anders watches as part of his 45-year-old penny collection is poured into Origin Bank's coin counting machine. But as he speculated, he remembered reading about a coin collection that resulted in a fortune for the owner. Otha Anders cashed in his giant penny collection. I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". And after acquiring over a half million of these coins, he finally cashed them in on Tuesday at Origin Bank. But his wife couldnt help but question one habit that he had had for the last 45 years. Thats especially true when it comes to coins but only certain kinds of coins. He started collecting pennies in the early 1970s. Market data provided by Factset. Then, one day, he decided to turn in the loose change. It was by far the most exciting thing that had happened at the bank in a while! 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. But if we can help Anders with his endeavors, we are happy to do so.. 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. Then, one day, he decided to turn in the loose change. 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, a 73-year-old from Ruston, Louisiana, has been collecting pennies for more than 45 years, ABC News reported. He was so serious about his rather unique hobby that he ended up collecting 55 large water jugs filled with pennies. Anders had no idea how much money his collection would amount to. than 45 years ago when he found it on the ground. In the end, Anders was always fair about how he came across his pretty pennies. With the help of friends and family, Otha Anders wheeled in 15 water jugs full of pennies to the bank in Ruston. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. How long has Otha Anders been saving his pennies? 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. . But Edmond Knowles did. It took at least 5 hours to process his pennies through a coin-counting machine until the sum was revealed. An error in the coin made it extremely valuable, and its value could only keep growing over time. But when they finally did, the actual amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! The extra bonus of income came just in time for him to pay a medical bill. 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. If I would see a penny when Im gassing up, on the ground, or in a store, it would be a reminder to stop right there and say a prayer, he said. "I would never spend a penny," he said. (Fox 14). 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. But why? Otha Anders has collected over half a million pennies during the last 45 years. Your health is important to us. Anders' coin collecting habit started when he found a penny on the street decades ago. How many?, the woman asked. The 73-year-old's homeowner's insurance didn't cover his collection, he told ABC News, that although he long ago surpassed his goal of filling five 5-gallon water jugs with coins, he found himself unable to stop collecting. I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful, 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. Anders said. Total Savings. Tell us your tales of coin collections if you have any,and don't forget to show this story to your friends as well! 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Otha Anders turned in a 45-year collection of pennies on Tuesday in 15 five-gallon water jugs. 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. I know its a crazy amount but this is a dear collection of mine that I need to cash out. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "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. "We value his business, as we do all of our customers," she said. "He did likewise with pennies for me.". He took . I would guesstimate about half a million pennies?. Guess how many pennies were in his 15 5-gallon jugs. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. 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. But when they finally did, the amount Anders had saved all these years was incredible! 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. But that's not all. The counting and processing of the coins took a total of about five hours, according to the News-Star. Author: Frededreia Willis. Total Savings. Anders worried they would turn him away. Its shocking, for sure, he told ABC News. It seems that this small habit was a touching way for Anders to strengthen his relationship with God. Their worth is even less still if the government issuing the coins no longer exists.But what about Anders coins? 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!