Pennies from heaven

I still pick up a penny when I see it on the ground, the sidewalk, the pavement or even on the stairs in a building. Seems like they catch my eye… and bring a smile to my face. 

Some people, including yours truly, think of it as a sign. Maybe that someone is thinking of you. Or maybe that it’s your lucky day. Maybe it’s a hello from heaven.

So I’m a little nostalgic about the demise of the penny. Reports are we are going to cease production of them after the last ones are produced in 2026. 

I get it. They are expensive to produce. One penny cost 3.6 cents to produce. The cost has gradually increased over the years.

Pennies were the first U. S. coin produced in 1793 with a design called the Flowing Hair Liberty. From then until 1857 pennies were 100% copper. Since then the composition has varied using a combination of zinc, nickel, and copper and size has been reduced. 

After the Liberty design came the Indian Head Cent which was produced for 50 years until the Lincoln Head Cent was introduced in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 100^th birthday. 

Since 1909 there have been added designs mostly around Lincoln and his contribution to the country.

In 1943 during the war copper was needed for the war effort so for one year there was the Steel Cent made from zinc coated steel.

Due to inflation pennies are essentially worthless. And while the value of a penny has changed the meanings or symbolism have remained. 

I like to believe in Pennies from Heaven. The song of the same title, circa 1936, was made famous by Bing Crosby and carried more than a melody. It had a message. In every storm, there is something good. . . You just have to look for it.

And remember that old phrase ‘A penny for your thoughts?” Have you ever used it when you see someone staring into space, thinking, or daydreaming? If you really are wondering what’s going on inside their head maybe you asked them the question: Using the time-tested value of a penny you let them know you see them and are interested in what they are thinking. 

For another generation, pennies represented the importance of saving. There were jars or coffee cans full of pennies in ranch houses, farms, or at Grandma’s. 

For my grandmother pennies were a reminder of patience, thrift, and the value of small things. That penny jar was rarely empty. She let us put them in paper rolls to take to the bank. Soon pennies became dollars and dollars multiplied. It proved her saying: “If you take care of the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” 

I can’t think of a thing a lone penny can buy these days, but I can think of things a penny might mean. It can mean someone thought of you. It can be a sign of good luck. It can appear in your path at just the right time when you are looking for a sign of something good. Is it the old lesson of a penny saved is a penny earned or that a penny from heaven reminds you that every cloud has a silver lining. 

So while we won’t be producing pennies anymore, I’m grateful that the ones we do have might keep showing up in unexpected places. I’ll keep picking them up. Every one. Not for money. Maybe for luck. Mostly, to remind myself, that little things – like a smile from a stranger, an act of kindness, or even a penny from heaven can make our day.