Man collects pennies for 45 years, stumping bank tellers when he finally cashes in
This Man Collected Pennies for 45 Years—The Reason Behind It Will Touch Your Heart
Most of us have collected something at some point—stamps, baseball cards, maybe even coins. But one man from Louisiana took collecting to an entirely different level. Over the course of 45 years, Otha Anders dedicated himself to collecting every penny he came across—not for wealth, but for something far more meaningful.
It all began in the late 1960s. Anders, a schoolteacher, didn’t collect pennies to make money. He simply liked the act of collecting them. Over time, his passion grew into a daily ritual—searching sidewalks, checking under couch cushions, and pocketing every stray penny he found.
But this wasn’t just about coins.
“If I would see a penny when I’m gassing up, on the ground, or in a store,” Anders told ABC News, “it would be a reminder to stop right there and say a prayer. I never failed to do that.”
For Anders, each penny became a symbol of gratitude and mindfulness—a little divine reminder to be thankful for life’s blessings. Even when the U.S. Treasury launched a program offering $125 for every $100 in pennies turned in, he wasn’t interested.
“I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection,” he said.
What’s even more remarkable is that he never accepted pennies as gifts—not even from his wife or children. Every coin in his collection was one he found or acquired through effort, reinforcing the spiritual connection he felt to the process.
Anders recalled that on days when he was too busy or distracted to be thankful, a penny would almost always appear—like a gentle nudge from above.
“I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful,” he explained.
Eventually, after decades of collecting, Anders made the decision to cash in his pennies. He wheeled 15 five-gallon water jugs full of coins into the bank, stunning the staff. The total? Over half a million pennies—adding up to more than $5,000.
But for Anders, the true value of the collection was never in dollars.
It was in the countless quiet moments of reflection and gratitude that each penny prompted—a lifelong lesson that even the smallest things can hold powerful meaning.
A single coin. A single moment. A lifetime of thankfulness.