2017 Summary

WOW!  One week of 2018 has already been completed and we are off to a running start in this new year.  Of course, the Penny Angels have produced coins every day so far.

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The Penny Finding data from 2017 has now been summarized.  Last year the Penny Angels provided  2675 coins, 5 paper bills and numerous international coins. 

It was painful in June when the continuous streak of 791 Days ended.  Doc and I, plus our extended families, were confined on an ocean vessel which advertised a “cashless shipboard experience”.  They weren’t kidding!  I searched and searched to no avail.

Upon returning from our travels, the coin finding has resumed and we are now on Day #177 of this new Continuous Streak.

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The 56 coins found on Christmas Day were special.  The finding of those coins was more precious to me than any jewels or other material gifts I could have received.

Doc and I went to Tehachapi to visit my brother and family.  One of our favorite things is to take the four nieces and nephews for Vanilla Steamers at Starbucks, then Penny Finding!  So after breakfast and gift opening, we drove the 12 miles into town for 2.5 hours of fun and laughter.

Since it was Christmas Day, many businesses were closed.  We asked the Penny Angels to guide us in our search.  The first stop was Frosty King.  There were +/- 38 coins at the drive up window!  The Angels definitely answered our request – except that the coins were embedded in the asphalt!  We could not collect them.

Lesson Learned:  Be more specific with the goals / requests.

We subsequently asked to find coins which we could actually take away with us.

We next went to Starbucks for Doc’s requisite coffee and the kids’ vanilla steamers.  Five coins found at that stop.  We hit the Kmart lot, Circle K, the High School, the Middle School, gas stations, the Flying J truck stop, Love’s truck stop and more.  At one point we had pennies, nickels and dimes, but needed a quarter to obtain our “Hit for the Cycle”.  We were all asking the Angels for a quarter.  At the next stop I hopped out of the van and immediately found that quarter.  Then Uncle Doc also found one.

Such a fun two hours.  We laughed and played.  Niece Jamie (10 years old) was a penny hog and would shove me out of the way as I went reaching for MY finds.  (She claims she merely ran faster than I did).

We had 15 minutes remaining before we needed to head back to the house for Christmas Dinner.  Niece Jamie wanted to search at the Sonic Burger.  We found a few coins there.  Jamie noticed the closed Taco Bell next door and insisted that she and I look there.  JACK POT!  There were 15 pennies, 3 nickels, 5 dimes, and a quarter!  That completed 3 Hits for the Cycle during those few hours.  That was our “Grand Finale” experience for 2017.

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For you Data Nerds

In 2017: 

      1938 Pennies, 159 Nickels, 448 Dimes, 126 Quarters, 66 Foreigns and Others, 92 Norman Pennies and 34 Hits for the Cycle.

Since Penny Tales began in December of 2008:

      26,433 U.S. Coins, Numerous Foreign coins and tokens for $1,156.53

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It has been nine years of Penny Finding and Penny Tales. 

It’s NOT really the money which matters – it’s the messages.  Each coin has a story linked to it and each penny somehow makes a difference.