Oddest Things You've Done With Coins

Back in New England, we used to burn about 11 cords of wood a winter, which meant a lot of wood splitting. When the splitting maul or axe head would get loose, I'd use a cent as a wedge, hammering it into the top of the handle to expand it. Worked every time, however after a while there would be lots of copper in the handle, and it'd have to be replaced.

I've always wondered about all the coins kids bury somewhere. I know my wife buried a pile of pennies near a tree somewhere in Wisconsin when she was a kid. My Son buried a box of coins in a park near a tree too thinking it would be found as a buried treasure from a pirate. I too remember burying some coins when I was a really little kid but not even sure in what town now. Possibly there are many more coin of all kinds buried somewhere out there. Some found, some disentigrated and who knows what else. I sometimes wonder if kids did this hundreds of years ago too.

When my father was in South America (Brazil I think) it was experiencing hyperinflation. The coins were cheaper than washers so people were using them as such. My father went to the bank to get some coins to bring back to the US and the bank manager took him upstairs to a closet that was full of coins. The manager pulled out two large bags of coins and told my dad to come back in a couple of hours (so they could be counted and accounted for). When my dad came back the bank manager just gave him the two huge bags of coins as they had no "value". Now if I could just get my local bank to do that for me in pennies....

A friend of mine paid his property taxes in pennies (around $1,200 dollars worth) as a protest to high taxes. It was in the paper and made for some colorful conversation. He used a dolly to take the coins to the tax office. I talked to a girl at my bank who had been working at the tax office that year and she said it took them 2 days to count them all. The vipers now have a note on the door CASH OR CHECK ONLY, NO COINS. I don't think that sign is legal as coins represent legal tender payable for all debts public and private (and taxes represent public debt) but anyway....

Personally I have two stories about the oddest thing I have done with coins. When I was a teenager I helped build a large chimney and when we were done I put the years coins in the mortar at the top of the chimney. Unfortunately I did not do it deep enough and the mortar dried and contracted exposing the coins which someone picked up years later so they are no longer in the chimney.

Around this same time I was buying rolls of pennies and sorting them after school. My mother had hired a local man for some work. She had left so I was the only person at home. This gentleman who had been off of work for awhile arrives drunk at my front door wanting to be paid for his work for mom. Well I paid him in rolled pennies all that I had which was around $10.00-12.00. I will never forget the staggering drunk walking down the street holding the pennies close to him in an effort not to drop any as he headed back to the bar. I have often wondered what the bar owner thought.... Sincerely, John Leckrone

when our sales tax went to 8 1/2%, I went to the dollar store and when the purchace rang up at $1.09 I gave the teller 8 and a 1/2 cents. I had cut a few zincolns just for this purpose. the teller didn't know what to do. I told her that 8 1/2% of a dollar is 8.5 cents. she just smiled and put it in her drawr.

I fixed my 8 track tape player in my 1975 Pontiac once, when it blew a fuse. For the younger folks that is in between Sails in the Navy and a Nuclear powered aircraft Carrier

Not really odd but - Back in the 80's I used to drill a very small hole in a quarter and then attach it to fishing line. I would then go to the local arcade where, with some luck (and my friends distracting the owner of the arcade) I'd proceed to put 40-60 credits onto the machine. Boy was I good at Galaga!!

Oh yeah... played "Quarters" in college!

lafaa, you'll find out when you go to college. (If not sooner!)