THE JOY OF FINDING LOST COINS

 

There are two types of people: those who overlook the glinting coins in their path, and those who never fail to spot them. Sarah Bowen Shea is firmly in the latter category.

The co-founder of the online community Another Mother Runner, she routinely scoops up coins during her runs. She discovered a Chicago Sacagawea coin worth $1.27 one January, and nabbed $1.22 worth of coins (including a quarter plucked from a pond) last July. Another time, she netted a whopping $4.33 in a single run.

There's definitely days where the search for found change is what gets me out the door, says Shea, 58, of Portland, Ore.

Americans toss millions in coins yearly, abandoning them to sidewalks, parking lots, airports and bus seats. Many end up in the trash.

But for a tenacious group, every penny, nickel, dime and quarter is a golden—or copper or silvery—opportunity.

For some, it is easy money. Others do it for luck, as a game, or for the satisfaction of noticing life's tiny triumphs. Many find it downright thrilling.

There's something really primal about seeing that glint on the ground, says Chalkley Calderwood, of Catskill, N.Y. I'm bending over to pick it up before I can even think.

Calderwood, a 54-year-old documentary filmmaker, favors dimes, believing they bring good fortune. One film proposal got green-lit right after she found a dime. Another time, a long-awaited check arrived two days after discovering one. She might skip pennies—but never the silver.

A May YouGov poll reveals over 80% of American adults, particularly the older set, would stop to pick up a coin on the street. Remarkably, half wouldn't hesitate to stoop for a mere penny, showed the poll of nearly 3,000 people.

Samantha Hopkins—who once found a ring while running—and her husband have turned their coin-gathering hobby into a yearly tradition where friends try to guess the value of their coin haul. The couple then donates the change to charity. Over a decade, they have raised about $1,500.

To read the complete article (subscription required), see:
Lost Change, Found Fortune: The Thrill of Collecting America's Abandoned Coins (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/lost-coins-collecting-change-america-541881e3)

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