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 Replies: 17 / Views: 2,199 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2600 Posts |
On March 31st, 2006, I started picking every coin I found laying on the ground and abandoned. I was curious just how much I would find over the course of one year. I find it hard to believe. Even more surprising was the break down by denomination.
1 cent $2.01
5 cents .75
10 cents 3.10
25 cents 1.25
1 dollar bill 1.00
I thought people left cents and nickels laying and did not bother to pick them up as they were deemed not worth the effort. I would have thought that change of more value would be retrieved. Makes me wonder if people are just too lazy to bend over, period. Nothing earth shattering, but I thought you might find it interesting.
Jim
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Pillar of the Community
United States
675 Posts |
Very interesting Jim,
I think I might do this, and see what I come up with! I already do pick up all abandoned coins on the ground, but I never thought of keeping track of them.
It seems that I see a lot of pennies, a few nickels and dimes, and rarely anything else. I consider a quarter or better to be a pretty good find!
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Valued Member
United States
342 Posts |
I've been setting aside "Found" money for years. My best year was about $120.(Included two $20 found in the street) Most years I get $35-$40. I include any found money, Coin returns from the machines at work, CoinStar machine reject bins, sidewalk finds, etc. I put found money in my back pocket and put it in a jar at home each night. Finds with my metal decector are not included in this. They get a seperate bucket(They add up faster,$300+ per year).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1173 Posts |
I suppose some folks are just too lazy, but I suspect that just too many people are too harried, busy, stressed and "in a hurry" to even notice that they dropped something, or to take the time to retrieve it if they did. In that sense, a penney or even a dime, really isn't worth the time it takes to find it once it drops.
I, on the other hand, being a miserly old skinflint (of 56 years of age) never pass a penney or any other money on the ground! I guess I figure that ol' Ben Franklin was right...A penney saved is [still] a penney earned.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2600 Posts |
As a side note, one of the places I pickup a lot of cents at is the counter at "Drunkin Doughnuts"  Not unusual to find two or Three Cents laying on the floor in front of the counter. You know whoever dropped them knew they had and just did not care. Jim |
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New Member
United States
37 Posts |
Jim,
I had a thought of why people wouldn't pick up coins the had dropped at the doughnut counter. That would defeat the purpose of being there in the first place. Great location for coin finds!
Rob
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2600 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1031 Posts |
Last year I went to lunch with a co-worker. I noticed they had a single Canadian penny laying there in their truck. All I asked is was where did you get the Canadian penny (I live in the US so I don't see these often). They said somewhere in change and threw it out in the parking lot at work. They park right by me so after work I picked it up. I've found US pennies there recently. I guess I know where they came from.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
986 Posts |
My dad's the lucky one in our family, it seems that he's always picking up money. $20's are practically attracted to him at the beach, and they'll just seemingly appear at his feet. Fortunately for me, I get most of daddy's "found" money as an extra bonus to my allowance.
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Valued Member
United States
194 Posts |
Wow! In total of what I found, let's see, carry the two, add the one, I have found, 10 cents.  I still pich up change, just don't see much on the ground often. That is not a bad total. Keep it up.  Phoenix  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1151 Posts |
My daughter has a keen eye for lost paper money. Over the past couple of years she has found a couple $20 bills and once a $100 bill. I always make her share with her brothers. I on the other hand get excited when I find wheat cents laying on the ground !!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
I find money all the time people do not care about pennies. so lots of people throw them out. believe it or not. I will pick them up every time
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Rest in Peace
Australia
661 Posts |
From what I have read above, it seems about time that America's mints took a long, hard look at it's current coinage. To keep issuing small coins that no one seems to want is a waste of tax payers' money. If people can't be bothered picking up a dropped coin then the mints may as well just be issuing beads.
Australia scrapped 1 & 2 cent coins in 1992, Canada and New Zealand have also dropped them. New Zealand have now dropped the 5 cent coin. If the small demonination are not wanted, why bother.
Food for thought, I hope.
regards,
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1626 Posts |
I think it is funny how some people will not bend over to pick up a penny or nickel, but yet they will drive miles to a certain gas station to save a few cents for the cheapest gallon of gas
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I am one who refuses to pick up change off the streets/parking lots/etc... it makes me feel like I am one of them guys that ride around in the pick up truck without a muffler trying to beat the garbage man rummaging through everyone in the neighborhood's trash and digging through a big ol pile of stuff just to retrieve a 1 inch piece of copper wire, I just refuse to do it, it its in my hand and it falls out I will pick it up (maybe) if its laying there I will take an extra step to step over it
Edited by Bryan1315
04/05/2007 07:31 am
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Valued Member
United States
342 Posts |
When I go out with my detector I spend lots of time and energy and most of the time the coin I recover is a penny. When I see one just sitting there to be picked up with little effort I figure...Why not.
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Replies: 17 / Views: 2,199 |
Posted 04/04/2007 09:41 am
