Find a penny pick it up, that’s how the old phrase goes! But if you see a penny (or any coin!) on the ground, do you pick it up, or walk straight past it? Only one in two people will stop to pick up a penny. Which side of the coin are you?
We love picking up coins from the ground, and starting in January, we decided to dedicate one of our coin jars to what we’ve termed our “roadkill” – money we’ve found on the ground. Today, curiosity got the better of me and I had to count it up. Can you believe that we’ve managed to find £3.01 already?
Sure, it won’t buy us a portion of chips each (we’ll have to share!) but I’m impressed that this was free money, just laying around on the ground. I’ve also seen people just throw coins on the ground because they don’t like having coins on them. Crazy.
Where Does The Phrase Come From?
Ancient people used to believe that metals were gifts from the gods. This would include copper which is used to make pennies. They believed that these elements were given for protection. If you found metal, you should definitely pick it up from the ground. This is because it would protect you and bring you good luck.
These days people believe that coins are luckiest when they are heads side up. If you find one heads down, you are supposed to turn it over and leave it for the next person to come along and get the good luck. Your luck will also never end if you pass on the lucky coin to a friend. Find a penny pick it up, good old rhymes!
It’s also apparently good luck for brides to have a penny in their wedding shoe. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a penny in the shoe.
Great places to look for coins
There are loads of great places to check for coins. They include:
- The ground around car park payment machines.
- Change compartment at coin payment machines – car parks, train stations, etc.
- Around bins.
- Coin operated trolley bays.
- The ground near tills.
- Outside kiosks.
So when you next find a penny, will you pick it up? Follow the rhyme! Find a penny pick it up.
What happens when you save a penny every day for a year?
You should also check out my free money page!
