Buzz
Physical currency feels like a thing of the past—while cash isn't completely gone, its use has been on the decline for years as people increasingly turn to cards and apps for purchases. Though paper money and some higher-value coins still have their place in the economy, there’s one form of physical currency that has nearly reached the point of being laughably impractical: the penny. It now costs nearly three cents to produce one, and they just accumulate in jars and forgotten drawers.
While pennies are still technically money, you can exchange them at a Coinstar machine (with a fee) or at your bank (if you're willing to put in the time to roll them up). But beyond that, there are other creative ways to put all those pennies to work in your life.
Turn them into cash by selling them
While each penny is officially valued at one cent, not all pennies are equal. Some of the pennies in your jar could actually be worth much more:
Pre-1982 pennies. Before the start of 1982, U.S. pennies were made up of about 95% copper. Copper itself holds significant value, currently priced between $2 and $3 per pound. It takes around 150 of these older pennies to equal one pound, so the math checks out. However, it is illegal to melt down pennies and nickels for profit (though you can melt them for other purposes). Most credible scrap dealers won’t take pennies, and attempting to melt them down yourself might not be fruitful, as most copper scrap consists of tubing and piping, which dealers might be suspicious of.
However, there is still potential to profit from older pennies. A quick search on eBay will reveal many sellers offering bulk quantities of old pennies with decent profit margins (a large portion of these sellers are apocalypse preppers who anticipate that the metal will hold value in the event of societal collapse). In 2022, for example, a family in Los Angeles discovered one million pennies in their father's home. Though they were worth $10,000 in total, the family sold them (they originally aimed for $25,000 due to the possibility of rare pennies, but the final sale price remains undisclosed).
Rare pennies. If you have a collection of older pennies, it might be worth sorting through them to spot rare coins that can fetch a good price. While an expert’s eye is needed for a thorough evaluation, there are a few key things to check for:
Wheat pennies. Minted between 1909 and 1958, these pennies feature two stalks of wheat on the reverse. Every wheat penny holds some value (roughly four cents for a common one), but some are worth thousands. The truly rare ones can even be worth millions. If you find many wheat pennies in your collection, it may be worthwhile to consult a coin dealer to determine their value. Otherwise, you can still make a profit by selling them in bulk for more than a regular penny.
Rare and low-mintage pennies. This requires a bit more effort, but identifying rare pennies by their mint marks, dates, and errors such as double-die strikes (which cause a “doubled” effect on the lettering) can help you separate the truly valuable pennies from the rest. While you can give it a try, you'll still need to check with an expert to confirm whether your penny is truly valuable or simply an interesting oddity.
Create Tile Designs with Pennies
Pennies are more than just small change. Even though the metal used in modern pennies isn't particularly valuable, they have an unexpected use in home design: as tiles. For instance, a penny-tile floor can give you an affordable, durable, and visually striking floor that makes a bold statement in any room.
Pennies also work wonders as decoration on tabletops, mirror frames, and pretty much anything else you want to add a little flair to. The key is to clean and polish the pennies before using them, as that shiny, coppery gleam is what will transform them into attractive décor rather than leftover change. Fortunately, cleaning pennies is simple—all you need is white vinegar, salt, and a cloth.
Use Pennies as Weights
If you've ever tried lugging a bunch of pennies to the bank to cash them in, you know just how heavy they can be. Made of metal, they pack some weight! If you have a collection of pennies lying around, however, you can put their weight to good use by turning them into flexible, effective weights. You can sew them into hems to weigh down curtains and ensure they hang just right. Since pennies are modular, you can add or remove them to adjust the weight to your exact needs. Similarly, pennies can be glued or attached to various objects you wish to weigh down, like light pull chains that tend to bounce around or even as subtle paperweights that prevent your papers from blowing away.
Another clever use for pennies as weights? When you're baking. If you're preparing to blind-bake a pie crust, you might need pie weights to prevent the crust from puffing up. But instead of buying special weights, you can simply use old pennies you have lying around. Just line the crust with parchment paper or foil, drop in some pennies (you can wash them first if you prefer, though they won’t touch the crust), and voilà! You'll have a perfect pie crust—and a reusable set of pie weights.
