Long before I worked there, I had a love of coins. When I was a child and before I truly learned the value of what each coin was worth,  I thought pennies were the best coins — especially new pennies with their bright copper. 

To me, at that time, the silver coins all blended together. The penny was the only one that really shined when it was new. 

At that job, I learned 1970 pennies are worth at least 2 cents, regardless of its condition due to the coin’s copper content — which is worth 2 cents, but not any more.

I also learned that the 1943 copper-alloy penny is the most sought after penny by numismatists, and at that time the most valuable Lincoln penny.

And, then there are the pennies with the wheat logo on them. In bad condition, they were worth at last 3 to 4 cents, and depending on the year and condition could be worth $10 or more. 

There has been talk on and off for years about doing away with the penny because it cost more to mint that it was worth. I hope not. 

I finally got around to looking up the expression “a penny for your thoughts.” According to what I found, it was first used by English statesman Sir Thomas More in an 1522 book he wrote.

And, while on the subject of pennies, who remembers the “penny loafers” that were popular back in the 1960s and 1970s?

I thought the loafers were nicer than those saddle shoes that were popular back then. 

A penny loafer is a shoe that had a slot in the front where a penny would fit. I put dimes in my penny loafers because I thought that looked cool. 

While I was reminiscing about pennies for this article, I wondered why the company developed a shoe with a built in change purse. 

In my research I learned, that back then an emergency call at a payphone cost 2 cents so I guess my putting 2 dimes in my penny loafers was keeping up with inflation.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a penny loafer — much less a payphone. I miss both. 

Mary Drier is a freelance reporter and columnist for the Huron Daily Tribune. She can be reached by emailing [email protected].

Long before I worked there, I had a love of coins. When I was a child and before I truly learned the value of what each coin was worth,  I thought pennies were the best coins — especially new pennies with their bright copper. 

To me, at that time, the silver coins all blended together. The penny was the only one that really shined when it was new. 

At that job, I learned 1970 pennies are worth at least 2 cents, regardless of its condition due to the coin’s copper content — which is worth 2 cents, but not any more.

I also learned that the 1943 copper-alloy penny is the most sought after penny by numismatists, and at that time the most valuable Lincoln penny.

And, then there are the pennies with the wheat logo on them. In bad condition, they were worth at last 3 to 4 cents, and depending on the year and condition could be worth $10 or more. 

There has been talk on and off for years about doing away with the penny because it cost more to mint that it was worth. I hope not. 

I finally got around to looking up the expression “a penny for your thoughts.” According to what I found, it was first used by English statesman Sir Thomas More in an 1522 book he wrote.

And, while on the subject of pennies, who remembers the “penny loafers” that were popular back in the 1960s and 1970s?

I thought the loafers were nicer than those saddle shoes that were popular back then. 

A penny loafer is a shoe that had a slot in the front where a penny would fit. I put dimes in my penny loafers because I thought that looked cool. 

While I was reminiscing about pennies for this article, I wondered why the company developed a shoe with a built in change purse. 

In my research I learned, that back then an emergency call at a payphone cost 2 cents so I guess my putting 2 dimes in my penny loafers was keeping up with inflation.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a penny loafer — much less a payphone. I miss both. 

Mary Drier is a freelance reporter and columnist for the Huron Daily Tribune. She can be reached by emailing [email protected].