Ally Bank "Lucky Pennies"

Looks like they put most of them east of them on the East Coast and no West Coast in my area except Denver, but I don't know Ally Bank. Sounds like they just threw them out on the street. To many wont pickup a penny on the road.

Good Hunting

San Diego here I'll be on the lookout!!!

It is not clear from the rules if the finder gets to keep the lucky penny. The redemption website merely requires a photograph, but they require the finder to keep the lucky penny and not give it to anyone else. "Sponsor may require any prize claimant to provide the Ally Lucky Penny to Sponsor in connection with verification of the prize claim."

The rules require the finder to allow Ally Bank to "investigate" the finder, including a background and criminal record check. Ally reserves the right to disqualify any finder that might "reflect negatively" on Ally or its sponsors.

All expenses or costs associated with the acceptance or use of the prize are the responsibility of the winner.

Every winner must grant "the right to use the participant's name, likeness, voice, biographical information and/or statements attributed to the participant ("Personality Rights"), in perpetuity, throughout the world, in all media and formats whether now or later known or developed, including without limitation via Sponsor's and third-party websites and social media and digital channels, for commercial purposes and any other purposes (including without limitation advertising and promotion), without further notice or compensation, unless prohibited by law."

And there are a lot more "restrictions".

Well if Ally gets more than 100 tokens then they will know something is up so I will say they will get between 1-100 counterfeits then flip a switch. Would it really be worth someone's time to invest that much effort. They have till the end of the year so:

1. How long does it take to make a mold or fake die.
2. How long does it take to make it look similar to the actual coin.
3. Is it worth it to only make 100?
4. Ship to multiple cities.
5. Place them on the ground?
6. Are they going to sell them to random people for less than $1000?

In the mean time people are finding the real deal and returning them for the $1000 which I am sure Ally is tracking.

And let's assume that all the fakes were somehow returned before the real coins that is a $100,000 minus the costs of producing the fake dies and shipping and hours of invested time.

It just seems like a lot of trouble for such a small quantity and time window doesn't it?

Although I was being facetious about the counterfeit remark, since there were questions posted...

The Chinese fakes would not be made to be placed on the streets, but sold with the idea that the shyster buying the fake would report it to claim the 1000.00.

In China, labor payment is so little that having the dies made would likely be very inexpensive compared to one being made here. I believe An outfit like Big Tree (possibly the largest Chinese fake coins makers) already have the in-house ability. Seeing pictures of the huge collection of dies they have is rather scary.

Seeing as most of what Big Tree sells goes for $1.50 a fake, Big Tree could set their purchase price for fake Ally Pennies @ $250.00, thus leaving the (illegitimate) finder $750.00.


On the Dark Web, people 1/2 "face value" cost for legitimate looking counterfeit currency (different countries) in large bundles. Big Tree asking for 1/3 reward for an Ally Penny value would be a bargain for crooks who do things like this.

Sad world we live in.

Always love the way you ground us, JBuck.

I, personally, don't see the difference between this and the Sunoco coins of the (whenever they were '70's) as long as they don't try to pass them as legal tender.

The best we can hope for is that this will renew interest in looking for and collecting coins again. Worst case is that someone gets a bad penny.

I suppose that fake pennies might undermine our economy at some breakpoint but I think it would take more effort and cost more than it is worth.

That would be a true numismatist

Well the real ones are supposed to have an verification code on the reverse. Since fake ones wouldn't have valid codes they couldn't be used to claim the $1,000 prizes. So all a counterfeiter could do would be to try and sell them to people and then disappear before the buyers learn they have fake codes. Offering to sell tokens that can be redeemed for $1K for $250? yeah I'm sure you will find a few foolish suckers, but it sounds like more work than it is worth.