They appear to be ready for the metal recycler. Pre-86 pennies are 97% pure copper. With the scrap rate nowdays you can almost double your money, pound for pound.

It's a shame that the mint doesnt allow them to be recycled. Even if a penny is yours, it's really not. It's "yours to spend as a penny" not yours as in your own the material.

Approx face value of 1lb of pennies - $1.80

Scrap rate recently - $2.75 to $400

A close friend has an unusually large collection of pennys that he's organized over 45 years. We've looked into getting rid of these coins but because of the weight involved it's difficult.What a pain in the ass.

Yep. Nekkid.

You mean ... heads and tails?

I don't remember that from the Disney versions.

Well, see, Disney didn't recognize the early penny until 19 ought 6, and in that year pennies were made of gold and frankinsence. Then the dogs came along and ate a bunch of them. Somewhere at the turn of the next decade, pennies were used in baked goods as a preservative, until someone realized that they could be used to clean airplane runways after it snowed for three days. The earliest known cent was given to Prince Matchabelli in 1546 as a gift after his child was born. This is the first known instance of a girl being named Penny. [/a thousand Cliff Clavens]

I can't find the IOTD about the guy who builds huge structures out of stacked coins. Boy, could he do a job with these. I did save the link, though: www.fincher.org/Misc/Pennies
I also wonder if you can make a wish by throwing water in the pile.

:p

I misread "pennies" in the thread title, and clicked thinking it was going to be the best NSFW Image of the Day ever.

Still neat, but not nearly as exciting as I thought it was going to be. :headshake

lol@chocolatl

Yeah, I would be buying a plane ticket to get to Rockefeller RFN!

I hate how your hands smell after you've been playing with or counting coins. I wonder if anyone's done a study on the diseases you can get from coins? Maybe you have to lick them in that case...

Great idea! Just remember that Flickr asks for a link back:
"Do link back to Flickr when you post your photos elsewhere.
The Flickr service makes it possible to post images hosted on Flickr to outside web sites. However, pages on other web sites that display images hosted on flickr.com must provide a link from each photo back to its photo page on Flickr."

A couple of quarters ago in microbiology, we did a lab on that very thing, placing pennies n' such in the dish.

Don't lick money. Ever. Or your fingers. Or your hair. Or anything else. Promise, it's NASTY.

New scientist has just delivered this timely short piece, edited highlights of which are:

You know some asshole took that money and spent it, too.
(shivs)
Money is disgusting. Glad I rarely carry cash. :headshake

Credit/Debit cards, will not build your immune system.

Sure they will. Just use 'em to buy lots of Vitamin C. ;)