After handling a lot of pennies, I feel vaguely ill. The Daily Mail claims a 1-Euro coin is dirtier than a toilet seat; and the Internet is filled with similar dire warnings about how dirty money is. But read the fine print and pay attention to the realities of risk. First of all, the amount of … read more Day 18: Dirty money
Category: Pennies
The Weight of My Days: the pennies and their history and meaning, the sculpture I’m making from 16,072 pennies. How to build something big from something small
Day XX: Copper allergy
I wondered at first if this was some kind of copper allergy, but that seems unlikely… to quote one site, According to a 1998 report in the British Medical Journal, from 1960 to 1976, St John’s Institute of Dermatology treated only one case of copper contact allergy, which occurred in a woman whose hobby was copper … read more Day XX: Copper allergy
Day XX: Copper in food
Many foods that are rich in copper are mainstays of my diet: legumes, seafood, nuts, cocoa, avocados, black pepper, raisins, molasses, whole grains and cauliflower. Is there a connection?
Day 17: Pennies from Dad
I’ve had a struggle the past few days with a tooth that’s gone bad and is throbbing with pain. I’m facing a huge dental bill that will wipe out my entire health savings account. This was making me feel poor and helpless and old, though I am not any of those things. I was just … read more Day 17: Pennies from Dad
Day 16: Pennies from Heaven
Until I started on this project, I was unaware of the myth that, when someone who is dead misses you, wants to make their presence known, or just wants to say Hi, they throw a penny in your path. But the saying “Pennies from heaven” is of unclear origin; it means money acquired without risk or … read more Day 16: Pennies from Heaven
Day 15: Sorted
Brits use the term “sorted” in a way I’ve come to like. “Well that’s sorted” refers to a problem that’s been solved, an activity that’s been organized or a task that’s been accomplished. I like to sort things. I like to solve problems most of all – it’s one of my favorite things in any job. But also … read more Day 15: Sorted
Day 14: The doubled die
Until today, I didn’t know what a doubled die was. Snake eyes? No, it’s a particular term in coin minting. First, understand the process of minting. A hub is a positive, or relief (raised) image of the coin which has been impressed into a steel die during the process of creating coin dies. The original … read more Day 14: The doubled die
Day 11: Does copper melt in a flame?
When it is soooo hot out, I think of everything melting… the whole world melting. And I wanted to melt a penny. Just to see. Keep in mind that pennies aren’t solid copper and never have been. The ones before 1982 (and some of that year) were 97.5 percent copper, and 2.5 percent zinc. But … read more Day 11: Does copper melt in a flame?
Day 10: I think I might be an outlaw
While I was researching this project, I ran across some references to illegal uses of U.S. tender. But, as so often on the Internet, there were emphatic voices on both sides of this question, each insisted their understanding of the law was the correct one. Defense 1: It’s art, therefore it’s protected free speech. Defense … read more Day 10: I think I might be an outlaw
Day XX: Sizing it up
A penny is three-quarters of an inch in diameter (19.05 mm), and 1.52 mm thick (.06 inch).