A man accumulates pennies for 45 years, leaving bank staff speechless when he cashes in.
Everyone has accumulated something.
How many pennies would you have if you gathered everything you could find for a month?Consider the amount of money you would have after 45 years of collecting pennies.
This man brought coins in after 45 years and blew his bank tellers away.
Louisiana teacher, Otha Anders.
He started collecting coins in the late 1960s for fun, not money.
He didn’t care when the government started paying $125 for every $100 in pennies turned in.
He enjoyed his collection.
Penny-collecting for prayer.
Seeing pennies reminded Anders to stop and pray.
“If I see a penny when I’m gassing up, on the ground, or in a store, it would be a reminder to stop and pray,” Andres told ABC News. “I always did that. That’s why I valued them.”
Andres never accepted pennies as gifts during his penny-collecting career.
“But I never allowed anyone, not even my wife or children, to give me pennies without payment,” he said. “I wanted the inner satisfaction of God, and I gained this collection.”
A blessing.
Anders learned to value stopping and praying when he spotted a coin.
On days when he wasn’t grateful, a penny would appear in his sight to remind him.
I believed that finding a misplaced penny was a God-given reminder to be grateful. Sometimes I forget to pray, but a misplaced or dropped penny reminds me.
Filling huge water containers with pennies.
Anders emptied money into large water bottles.
He first wanted to fill five huge water jugs, but after doing so, he wanted to keep going.
He had to give them to the bank or never do it.
He filled 15 5-gallon jugs before going to the bank.
My intention was to fill five five-gallon water jugs, but I kept going. If I hadn’t handed them in yesterday, I wouldn’t stop.”
The video shows Otha Andres discussing his penny collection. As well as their inherent value, Andres pennies had enormous financial significance.
He called Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, his longtime bank, when his homeowner’s insurance wouldn’t cover his collection.
Anders promised he would bring several coins.
It was a big job, but they were delighted to help.
“We value his business, as we do all of our customers,” said bank Vice President Jennie Cole. We’re glad to aid Andres in his work.
It took nearly 5 hours to open the jars using an axe.
In the end, Andres’ coin collection was worth thousands.
Over 45 years, Andres collected 513,614 pennies, worth $5,136.
