unknown
Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2011
- Messages
- 12,439
California family finds 1 million copper pennies in old home
That is the coinundrum facing John Reyes, a realtor from southern California. While helping his wife clean out her father's Los Angeles home, the family found more than 1 million copper pennies stowed away in a cramped crawlspace.
The family grabbed handfuls of pennies and had them tested, confirming they were made of copper.
Modern pennies are made of copper-plated zinc. The U.S. Mint began making zinc-coated steel pennies in 1943 because copper was needed for World War II. Since 1982, pennies have been made primarily of zinc.
The family loaded the bank bags onto two trucks, which were so heavy the trucks' suspensions were visibly stressed, forcing them to drive in the slow lane from Los Angeles back to Reye's home in Ontario.
Now, after months spent trying to sort through the pennies, the family wants someone else to deal with them. They've put the hoard on sale on OfferUp, a popular resale app and website, with an asking price of $25,000.