He walked into the bank with a dolly in tow, the jingling of coins immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
Otha Anders, known as the coin master, served on the Jackson School Board as a supervisor. Suspended students were sent to him, and they had a special fondness for him.
Anders, supported by his wife and children, had a somewhat unconventional hobby.
What began as a simple task evolved into a full-fledged hobby, bordering on obsession.
Anders believed that every penny he found was a divine sign, reminding him to be grateful. On days he forgot to pray, he would often find a penny, which he saw as God’s reminder to be thankful.
While most people make a wish on a penny, Anders, a man of faith, said prayers on them.
“I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful,” Anders told USA Today. “There have been days where I failed to pray and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.”
For 45 years, he collected pennies in five-gallon plastic water jugs. He estimated that he had accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars, but he was about to find out for sure.
When he brought the jugs to the bank, the employees had an unusual and entertaining day. They used hammers and axes to cut the pennies out of the jugs. After five hours of cutting and counting with a coin-counting machine, they had a final tally.
The total amount of pennies Anders had saved over 45 years was $5,136.14, averaging about $114.4 per year. Who would have thought that collecting pennies as a hobby could buy an “old car” in 45 years?
However, Anders used the money to pay a dental bill he had just received.
He was happy to spend the money on something useful, and with the leftover funds, he sponsored a family trip and made donations to the church.
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