We are over the $50.00 mark of money finds!

Total finds since The Lincoln Penny Project began. Above and below ground finds.

Our quick afternoon hunt brought in $.88

Since The Lincoln Penny Project began on July 12, 2009 - we have recovered lost coins and bills in the amount of $50.61. It's been even more of an adventure since we got a Garrett Ace 250 metal detector for Christmas. We initially started out hunting for coins above ground and have been successful. It's amazing what people leave behind for us to pick up.

Max and I did a quick park hunt and our batteries for the machine finally quit on us. Since we didn't have any AA's with us, we had to hang it up for the afternoon. We did however dig up $.88 (1 quarter, 6 dimes and 3 pennies).

Daily find: $.88

Above ground finds: 0

Below ground finds: $.88

Total finds to date: $11.13 Day 10, which averages out to $1.11 per day.

The Lincoln Penny Project grand total: $50.59

Above ground finds: $38.33

Below ground finds: $12.26

181 finding days averages out to $.28 per day.

We are building up dollars with fractions

We have been finding an average of a little more than $.20 each day since our initial quest of The Lincoln Penny Project. Some days allow us to be out hunting more than others, but it's still awesome to be able to pick up a coin of any kind that will add to the pot. So far the project has brought in over $33.00, which isn't bad for picking lost money up off the ground over the last few months. It's not that we are going out of our way to locate this lost change either....Well we might park farther away in a parking lot from the grocery store, but this allows us to get in some more exercise while our eyes peek at the pavement.

Look at the portion of a $1.00 bill that we found. This is obviously a fraction of a dollar, but unfortunately can not be used. All of the pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters that we find on the ground soon adds up to the mighty dollar.

What could $33.00 do for a charity? What if 100 other people or families did the same things as we are doing and donated it to a charity. We challenge you to not go out of your way and look on the ground-you will be amazed at the amount of change that you will end up finding. Just think if 10 people found $.05 per day-this would equal $182.50 in one year. What if 1,000 people found a nickel a day? This would calculate out to $18,250.00. One million people that found $.05 each day would bring in $18,250,000.00 in one year. It sure makes our $33.00 look small, but this shows the power of community involvement with small amounts of money from everyone. What if everyone in the United States put $.05 each day into a pot for one year. You work out the math on this one....Incredible! That's what fractions of one dollar do for you. They eventually add up to a big number.

Daily total find: $.27

Grand total to date: $33.66

Breakdowns of the week.... Topping the $30.00 mark!

Here's another week for The Lincoln Penny Project. Let's see how we did!

Last week's grand total was: $26.92

This week's grand total is: $30.03

$5.00 (1) = $5.00

$1.00 (2) = $2.00

$.25 (49) + 2 Canadian (51) = $12.75

$.10 (52) + 1 Canadian (54) = $5.40

$.05 (25) = $1.35

$.01 (367) 3 wheat backs, 3 Canadian (373) = $3.73

This is an 11% increase from last week.

Max gets in on the action and finds $.33

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. No time to search for the coin today. After I picked up Max he said, "let's go to the car wash!" It's the car wash that results in the best finds. I told him that we didn't have any time and needed to get home, prepare dinner and do some homework. We compromised and went to the local Shell station by the air/water area. Max ended up finding $.33 (quarter, nickel and 3 pennies). Way to go Max-a great addition to The Lincoln Penny Project! He understands that some of our finds will be going to a charity of our choice and a rainy day fund. He's always excited for the hunt!

Daily total find: $.33

Grand total to date: $27.25

108 finding days averages out to $.25 per day.

Breakdown of finds for the week

Here is another breakdown for the week. We have been doing this breakdown post for over a month now. It's awesome to see the pot grow, and the weekly percentage increase shows great returns. Remember this has not taken a lot of effort on our part or we haven't gone completely out of our way. These are things that we do daily for our job, our business and our way of life. These are places that we have to go to, or places that are next door to the places that we need to be at. Again, this might exhaust an extra 15-30 minutes a day from our schedule. How much time do you waste? To us this is just part of our day-or our 15 minute break. If you are not looking, you will not find. Keep your eyes on the prize!

Breakdown of finds:

$5.00 (1) = $5.00

$1.00 (2) = $2.00

$.25 (41) + 2 Canadian = $10.75

$.10 (50) + 1 Canadian = $5.10

$.05 (19) = $.95

$.01 (312) = $3.12 (includes 3 wheat back pennies)

Total finds to date: $26.92

Pennies prove to be the easiest to spot and nickels are the most difficult of the coins to find.

Percentage of increase from previous weekly breakdowns.

9/29/09 Total finds to date: $13.33

10/6/09 Total finds to date: $17.23 (22.6% gain for the week)

10/13/09 Total finds to date: $20.02 (14% gain for the week)

10/20/09 Total finds to date: $21.28 (6% gain for the week)

10/27/09 Total finds to date: $26.92 (21% gain for the week)

Happy Hunting!

First wheat back find since this quest began!

Wow! Finally the first wheat back penny uncovered. It's not like we took a metal detector over some land, dug down several inches and pulled up a treasure. This Lincoln Wheat Back Penny was sitting out in the open for all to see. It's a 1954S that's in decent shape for being 50+ years old. It was found at one of my favorite car wash stations. I needed to vacuum my truck out and noticed the Lincoln's Wheat Back staring up at me near my left front tire.

Before I used the vacuum, I toured the station-doing my rounds for the find. This one stop produced $.53 (2 quarters and 3 pennies). This sum was the same as yesterday. An earlier stop at Wal Mart brought in 6 pennies. The early morning find's total is $.59. Not bad!

Back to the car wash station. One vacuum area had a set of keys on the pavement. I snapped a picture of it and held on to the keys. The attendant was just pulling up while I was vacuuming. When I finished the job, I brought the keys up to him-letting him know what I found. He thanked me and asked if I wanted a free car wash. I thanked him and said I need to get to a job site. What an awesome day!

Update for the rest of the day. We ended up finding an additional $.36. The find came up with a Canadian quarter, one dime and a penny.

Total daily find: $.95

Grand total to date: $22.23

101 finding days averages out to $.22 per day.

Breakdown of the finds. Up 14% from one week ago!

Another week has passed by, so here is the breakdown that follows:
Last week's total equaled $17.23 This week we jumped up by 14%-which added $2.79 to our bottom line. This averages out to approximately $.40 per day for the seven day period.
$5.00 total 1 = $5.00

$1.00 total 2 = $2.00

$.25 total 24 + 1 Canadian = $6.25

$.10 total 37 + 1 Canadian = $3.80

$.05 total 14 = $.70

$.01 total 223 + 1 Canadian = $2.24

Grand total to date: $20.02

93 finding days averages out to $.21 per day

Has anyone played the 52 penny pick up game? We have!

Today was the biggest one day penny find at one location for us yet. This blog is called the Lincoln Penny Project, and the penny proves to be the easiest money find of any coin or bill since we started the project back on July 12, 2009. It's still puzzling to find so many copper coins strewn about. These pennies were found next to the vacuum station at a car wash. Obviously the person that dropped these coins out of their car sees the penny of having no value. Why? When added up, they spend the same. Check out the picture. When I drove up, two dimes and one penny was on the opposite side of the garbage bin on the ground and one penny sat on the concrete step. As I walked around to pick up the coin on the border of the garbage can, all of the copper coins were staring up at me. I could hardly believe my eyes. I picked up the coins one by one thinking that I uncovered a treasure. Fifty-two pennies and two dimes were found at this one location. Unbelievable!

Total daily find: $.72
Earlier find by Drea: .01
Grand total to date: $19.97
92 finding days averages out to $.21 per day.

A Sunday morning drive

Sunday proved to be a better day for hunting. We had a day trip planned for Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Our plan was to drive around and stop at Deception Pass for a hike down to the beach-and then go to my mom's in Coupeville to help her put outdoor things away for the winter. Before our hike, I found a quarter sitting in the vending machine where the pop gets dispensed. Was someone pitching quarters? It appears that I was the winner. That was our most important find of the day. We always like to note a find that links to a special event/hike, etc. Other noted finds of the day consisted of Claire's quarter find at the car wash, her penny find at Topp Foods in Burlington, and 3 cents at another car was near home.

I ended up finding $.21 at a Texaco in Freeland-and a nickel was waiting for me at a newspaper coin return at the ferry landing in Clinton. Not a bad day! Check out the cool, round rocks that resemble coins.

Daily find total: $.80

Grand total to date: $19.24

91 finding days averages out to .21 per day.

Look what Max found!

The first find of the day was when I was passing out flyers around a job site we were working on. I found Mr. Roosevelt face up as I was making the rounds.

Max and I stopped by the our favorite car wash on the way home after our post office visit. Max couldn't believe what he saw in the garbage; a shiny Washington Quarter. He also found 3 pennies right by the vacuum section. The last find was another quarter-which I spotted on the ground near one of the car wash stalls.

Daily find: $.63

Total to date: $17.86

87 finding days averages out to $.20 per day

We continue to be baffled over our finds!

Car wash places and service stations with air/water set ups prove to be great places for finds. After a supplier visit, I drove up to a car wash and found $.36 (3 dimes and 6 pennies. These coins were just sitting on the concrete step where the garbage can and vacuum is located....unbelievable! My second morning stop came after I stopped by from ordering a couple of dumpster drops for my upcoming projects. This time I stopped by my favorite Shell Station. Four Washington Quarters were placed near the vacuum stations...just waiting for me to scoop them up.

Early morning find: $1.36

Grand total year to date: $17.08

85 finding days averages out to $.20 per day

This pace equals $73.00 per year.

Car wash and Coinstar nets us $.07

Quiet day for finds-didn't hunt much though. I made two quick stops and came up with 7 pennies at the car wash/convenience store and a Coinstar at QFC.

Happy Hunting!

Three stops-three finds!

Coinstar and QFC continues to be a good stop. Why don't people leave other change on the floor next to the Coinstar machine other than pennies. Pennies take longer to add up, but they still pay for things. Someone could have added another $.07 to their bottom line-or skipped out on the Coinstar fee. Instead I came by and noticed my neglected, copper friends on the floor begging for some attention.

7/11 proves to be a great stop. I had to drop my keys on the floor-making sure they went under the counter-so I could pick up the Washington Quarter that was strategically placed.

My last find was at an AM/PM gas station at an air/water set up. I'm Still baffled why people set their money down for someone else to pick up. Just think how many people are doing this around the country on a daily basis. There is money waiting to be found. Keep hunting!

Daily find: $.34
Total to date: $13.67

Finds of the day!

My first find came when I went to my favorite Shell Station/Convenience Center for my Mt. Dew and Take 5 bar. I handed the clerk $2.65-and my change should have been $.02, but I opted to give it to him. He always gives me more change, so this time I let him keep the difference. On my way out of the store to my truck, I found 2 pennies. The next stop at the Shell Station was the air/water stop for automobiles. Sitting by the fire lane was a Roosevelt Dime tails up.

My next two stops for the day were also profitable. The lunch stop was Round Table Pizza. A lady next to me was finishing her food and grabbed for her keys. I heard some change drop-which hit the metal leg of the table. She stooped down to pick something up. On my way out, I noticed that she left $.26 for me.

My final find of the day was at Albertsons. I bought a newspaper after lunch-and I used the personal scan counter. A George Washington one dollar bill was waiting for me in the bill return. Thanks Joe!

Total find for the day: $1.35

Total tally: $12.86

75 Finding Days

What is the going exchange rate for a Pilipinas Piso from Home Depot?

News Flash: Contractor finds second foreign coin at the local Home Depot!

The exchange rate for a Phillipines 5 pesos is $.11. I'm not sure that I would go to a bank to trade in this unique coin.

My other finds at the Home Depot consisted of a nickel and penny on the pavement. One penny was imbedded in the ground. I asked myself, "how long has this penny been here-a few days, a couple of months?" It's not there anymore, but I'm sure another is waiting.

Morning find $.07

Wash your car or truck and receive change back

Check out your local car wash during the summer, and the chance of finding stray change is pretty good. We haven't been unlucky yet. I picked up an extra $.43 in change today.