A Louisiana man who collected pennies for almost half a century finally cashed in Tuesday.
With the help of friends and family, Otha Anders wheeled in 15 water jugs full of pennies to the bank in Ruston. The final count: 513,614 pennies, which comes to a little over $5,136, Fox 14 reports.
Anders said he started collecting the coins in the late-1960s. It eventually became so much of a hobby that he would deliberately avoid ever spending pennies.
"I would break a dollar before I would spend a penny," he said.
Anders, 73, reportedly supervises in-school suspended children for the Jackson School Board. He says he finally cashed in because his insurance policy won't cover the collection, according to the News-Star.
It reportedly took five hours for machines to count all the change. Anders says he plans to use the cash to help pay a dental bill.
"Whenever I would see a penny, I would always say a prayer of thanks. It was a reminder to me to always be thankful," he added.
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