Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Holiday Update

One penny, one nickel, and one dime found over the last few days. Forgive the brevity of this post.


Total haul for Dec. 24-30 = .16

TOTAL to date = $16.41

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Two Already, Like Chanukah Lights

Is it not crazy that I find pennies on the same corner at least twice a week? Am I the only one surprised by this?

I found one penny on 13th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues and another by the wine store on the corner of 4th and 13th.

Total haul today = .02

TOTAL to date = $16.25

Monday, December 22, 2008

Three Wise Men, All Named Lincoln

I hit the trifecta again. This time near a bank on 5th Avenue and 14th Street. They were three pennies all near a scrappy little tree trying to do its best in a square patch of dirt.

It was so cold today the pennies sounded tinny jangling around in my pocket on the way home. I think it may have hit 17 F today as a high.

Total haul today = .03

TOTAL to date = $16.23

Sunday, December 21, 2008

A Slushy One (and a two, and a three, and a four)

I found a single penny in Union Square Park on one of the paving stones that wasn't completely covered in slush.

Update: Walking the dog near the Strand I found three pennies near the door of a parked car.


TOTAL to date = $16.20

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Less Than Worthless

I didn't find this on the streets of New York, nor on a subway platform, nor in an elevator. I found it in my tin of coins and I thought it would be more interesting than posting, "I didn't find any money today."

These images are the two sides of a Zimbabwe penny from the 90s. The people of Zimbabwe are suffering through many unfathomable and horrendous problems at the moment including a raging cholera epidemic, famine, and inflation that is in the neighborhood of 230,000%. When I visited in 1998 some of the nation's infrastructure was still in place (like the sewage system, for example) and inflation had not yet run off with the value of the Zimbabwe dollar.

I'm guessing that this penny is now worth about .000000028 of a Zimbabwe dollar but that might be a generous estimate. This just in, Zimbabwe has released a new $500 million bill, which is worth about $50 US or 33 UK Pounds.


I love the $2 coin depicted below because it may be the only coin ever to feature a Pangolin.



Best wishes to the people of Zimbabwe. May they survive the horrors of Robert Mugabe and then see him held accountable for his crimes against them.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Platform Pay-out

Good thing I took the subway today because I wouldn't have been able to find a roll of quarters on the sidewalk what with all the slush out there today. What a mess. Luckily I found a penny on the uptown platform of the R/W train's Prince Street station. That was around noon.


TOTAL to date = $16.16

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Treble

I found three pennies today. One in Union Square, one stuck between some cobble stones on Rivington Street crossing Chrystie, and a third on Spring Street.

Total haul for the day = .03

TOTAL to date = $16.15

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Deuce

Take the A train and you might find a penny in the middle of the car like I did. And then another penny on 14th Street at 5th Avenue near TD Bank, formerly known as Commerce Bank (they picked up the phone quicker when it was Commerce Bank).


Total haul for the day = .02

TOTAL to date = $16.12

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Wet Penny

FOUND: One wet penny between sidewalk cracks next to Blimpie's at the corner of 4th Avenue and 13th Street.

The day is still young.

UPDATE - Another penny found on Bleecker Street at Bond.

Total haul for the day = $.02

TOTAL to date = $16.10

Monday, December 15, 2008

Sweet Sixteen!

People have had it with pennies and they're dumping them like shares of GM stock. I found two in Union Square Park while walking the dog this morning. Then I found one on the platform of the NRWQ trains at Herald Square. And then all hell broke loose. On the way home from the wine store the sidewalk looked polka dotted - and I hadn't had any wine yet! There were eight pennies in one square of the sidewalk.


Total haul for the day = .11

TOTAL to date = $16.08

Sunday, December 14, 2008

December 13, 2008

A nickel next to the planter right by my front door. Someone out there must like me. I swear someone drops change outside my door just to watch me light up. There was a penny a few feet away.

Total haul for the day = .06

TOTAL to date = $15.97

Friday, December 12, 2008

It (Almost) Never Fails!

Just when I thought it would be a zero day (and trust me, it sure felt like a zero day at times) I walk outside at 11:00 p.m. and there's a penny right outside the door on the sidewalk. Take note, use caution when picking up a penny near a revolving door.

I am still amazed at how much money can be found on the streets of New York and that it's a rare day that I don't find *any*. But I wouldn't mind finding even more.


TOTAL to date = $15.91

Thursday, December 11, 2008

You Say Bob, I Say Buck

But we both say penny and cent. Here are images of the UK penny I found in the East Village today. He was hanging out with his local guides, a dime and a penny (both US tender) and they were all drenched in the rain on the sidewalk where, I think, a pile of bagged garbage was sitting yesterday. No longer cleverly hidden, all three coins got a free ride home with me and will now enjoy the hospitality of my penny banks.





I think my large penny bank must have about 10 bob in it by now.

Total haul for the day = .11 plus foreign

TOTAL to date = $15.90

December 10, 2008

RUSH HOUR FREEBIE

Entering the subway turnstile at Herald Square at rush hour, I saw a penny next to the base of the turnstile. I took the time to bend over and get it while a bunch of impatient commuters waited for the whole two seconds it took to pick it up. I made it home on time one cent richer.


TOTAL to date = $15.79

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Stella's Cent

I found a penny out on west 14th Street not far from the Stella McCartney store. Somehow, I don't think she'll miss it. Probably wouldn't want it any way since it was in the street and all beat up.


TOTAL to date = $15.78

Monday, December 8, 2008

Barely Legal

I was in a conference room today where I saw a dime on the floor. I waited for the room to clear out before I claimed it. If that was someone's office, instead of a common area, would that have been stealing?

Total haul for the day = .10

TOTAL to date = $15.77

December 7, 2008

I found *another* quarter. This one was on the ground near the Union Square Holiday Market. I wish people would start dropping singles, fives, tens, and twenties.

TOTAL to date = $15.67

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Filthy Lucre

Dirtiest penny ever found in Union Square Park in the gravel path of the little park on the southeast corner.

TOTAL to date = $15.43

December 5, 2008

On 13th Street near University I found one very dirty penny and then two pennies hanging out near a box of fresh fish out behind the back of Whole Foods. And then, under a locked bike, a quarter. I love it when that happens.

Total haul for the day = .28

TOTAL to date = $15.42

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Nickelback

What's with all the damn nickels lately. I found *another* one today. This one was on the 12th floor of the dreaded 601 W 26th Street building, just lying around out in the polished cement hallway. It was facedown, nickelback up.

Total haul today = .05

TOTAL to date = $15.14

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

1+1+Mystery Coin

In central Park, near the Diana Ross Playground at 81st Street, I found a small copper coin that looked to be a penny but came up too small. It's a Euro cent. I thought the US was criticized for keeping pennies around (I'd hate to imagine what my life would be like if they cancelled them) so why would they be introduced with a new tender such as the Euro? Are there so many things one can purchase on the streets of Madrid, Rome, and Paris that cost three cents? 

Well, I guess they come in handy for tipping European style.




Then I found two pennies on the welcome mat at 100 W 33rd Street. The security guys at reception didn't share my enthusiasm. Or they were disappointed that I saw them first.

Total haul for the day = .02 US

TOTAL to date = US $15.09

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Just One

Union Square continues to pay out regardless of recession news. I found a shiny penny in the metal grate around one of the old Elm trees. It ain't much but it's more than zero.


TOTAL to date: $15.07

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thirty-nine (39)!

At the movie theater to see TRANSPORTER 3 I found a quarter, a dime, and a penny. Then I ran across the street for a tea and found two more pennies. And then I found ANOTHER penny in the theater.

Total haul for today = .39

TOTAL to date = $15.06

Saturday, November 29, 2008

five + one = souvenir

I found a nickel in the dog run today. I know that sounds nasty but it traveled home in plastic and got a rinse before joining pals in the nickel/penny piggy bank.

And near the turnstile entering the 14th Street subway we found a penny, which came in mighty handy for souvenir-making at the Prospect Park Zoo.



UPDATE - during the evening dog walk I found *another* nickel! Hey, they are so rare and I found two in one day. OMG, LOL, ROFL, LMAO.
Total haul today = .11

TOTAl to date = $14.67

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Three in a Row

Right by a subway entrance at Union Square I found three pennies all in a row. I swear, a few months ago people used to look at me with pity and disgust when I stopped for a penny but it's a whole different look now; it's envy. That's right, I am three cents richer and some suckers standing by had to watch it happen.

Total haul for the day = .03

TOTAL to date = $14.56

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

2

Found one cent in Chinatown in the wee hours and then another on the stairs coming up out of the 14th Street Union Square subway station. I did not make any friends when I stopped to pick up the second penny - it was rush hour.

Total haul for the day = .02

TOTAL to date = $14.53

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Half Dozen

I found the same penny twice (I'm only counting it as one cent). I picked it up outside in Union Square and then dropped it outside of my elevator when I pulled my keys out of my apartment. I found it much later in the day lying there on the carpet all bent out of shape about being dropped.

In the evening, the holiday glare from the holiday village that has sprouted in Union Square threw light on a nickel that was mixed in with the gravel in the dog run. You know I LOVE to find nickels - they are rare!

Total haul for the day = .06

TOTAL to date = $14.51

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Perfect Ten

Just when I thought I was destined to find nothing but solitary pennies only on odd days, a dime winked at me from near the curb on 19th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue. It was on the north side of the street just before 3:00.

Damn, it was cold out there today!

Total haul for the day = .10

TOTAL to date = $14.45

21 November 2008

It ain't much but I'm not complaining. I found another penny between paving stone sin Union Square Park. It was so cold I didn't want to take my gloves off so I had to work at picking it up but in the end, I got the penny into my pocket and into my piggy bank.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $14.35

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The One That Got Away

I was on an elevator today and as the doors closed to go up stairs, I spotted a penny on the floor just on the other side of the door. It wasn't there when I came back down. Damn it.

TOTAL to date = $14.34

19 November 2008

Two pennies found in Union Square Park and another in the Prince Street subway station.

Total haul for the day = .03

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

18 November 2008

11:55 p.m. on 4th Avenue in the bitter windy cold I found a single penny in the dead center of the sidewalk - you know it's cold if they don't stop to pick up the obvious ones. Because of the low light, I thought it was a dime at first. Bummer.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $14.31

17 November 2008

Solitary Confinement

I found a penny in the corner at a preschool. The dunce cap was missing but Lincoln was looking guilty.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $14.30

Friday, November 14, 2008

Cent by Cent

Found one penny near a construction site on W 19th Street and another near the "Tumbling Mirage" sculpture in Union Square.


Total haul for the day = .02

TOTAL to date = $14.29

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Drug Money

A bunch of junkies hang out on the eastern side of Union Square Park. One would assume that they would pick up spare change but they would have to see it first. I found a penny by an uninhabited bench in that area - before my dog peed on it.

FYI, I keep my coins separate at home. Pennies and nickels share a red ceramic piggy bank (lower bank in image), quarters get the big midcentury pig, and dimes get their own modern orange plastic pig that is nearly spherical. Here's a sketch of the three. They live on a shelf near the front door.

Lightning, or rather, quarters, strike twice in the same spot! Mere feet from where I found a quarter near a crowded bench in Union Square over the summer, I found *another* quarter. This time the benches were empty because it was raining and the quarter was mixed in with the fall leaves.

Total haul for the day = .26

TOTAL to date = $14.27

12 November 2008

Every penny counts!

I found one near a garbage can in Central Park. The penny/garbage can proximity thing is starting to making me wonder.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $14.01

11 November 2008

11-11-11

One dime and one penny equal eleven cents found on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It also means we hit $14.00 even since starting this folly on June 20th.

Total haul today = .11

TOTAL to date = $14.0

10 November 2008


10 on the tenth - and then some. I was happy to find to pennies in the crosswalk at 4th Ave and 13th Street (what's up with this - people drop change in the crosswalk but don't risk picking it up?) but then hit the big money at twilight in the dog run where I found a dime winking at me from among the dusty gravel (I rinsed that one before depositing into the piggy bank).


Total haul for the day = .12

TOTAL to date = $13.79

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Half a Dozen

Outside of the Strand I found a penny at 12:20 a.m. and moments later a Nickel! Nickels are big so rarely left behind. In fact, since June I have only found 7 nickels whereas I have lucked upon 27 dimes. Fine with me, I prefer the larger denominations.

Aw, and then the sun came up and more coins rained down. I left my apartment to go a movie and followed a trail of 8 cents all the way to the cinema.

Total haul for the day = .14

TOTAL to date $13.67

8 NOVEMBER 2008

I found a penny at the Union Square Farmer's market before noon.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

LATE ENTRY 4 November 2008

I was very much caught up in the events of November 4, so much so that blogging about pennies was far from my mind. On my way home from voting, however, I did find four pennies next to a garbage can at 4th Avenue and 13th Street. Why do I find so many pennies near garbage cans? Do people want to get rid of them but know better than to chuck them in?

Okay, who thinks people under 50 have a chance of seeing Obama on US tender before they kick it for good? I do.
Big money today as I stepped onto the elevator in my building. A dime right on the doorplate! Too bad I spent about 2 hours kneeling at work yesterday and as a result ended up with useless legs today. I needed the bar in the elevator to pull myself up (I always wondered what that thing was for).

And then I found a penny on 5th Avenue at 21st Street. A sad penny hanging out by a garbage can (which was useful for pulling myself up after bending down with rubber legs).

Total haul for the day = .11

TOTAL to date = $13.48

5 November 2008

One penny.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Fourtet

I found four pennies near a garbage can in front of Circuit City at Union Square. Why do I find so many near garbage cans?

Total haul for the day = .04


TOTAL to date = $13.36

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Round and reddish, but not a pumpkin

I found another penny yesterday. Big whoop.

Today I found a bag in the restroom at the Prospect Park Zoo. It was left on the hook of a door in a stall. It was a tote bag and I could see there was a wallet in it so I took it right to a zookeeper for the lost and found. It may have had HUNDREDS of dollars in it but my kid was with me so I couldn't very well rifle through it and pocket the twenties, could I? That would have qualified as found money but since there was a good chance of reuniting the owner with the lost money, that's exactly what I tried to do. I only keep found money that I'm sure I can't return to the previous owner.


Total to date = $13.32 (not the unknown fortune in a forgotten bag found in a zoo toilet in Brooklyn)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Playing the Dozens

Okay, it's just one dozen, but that beats .11 cents. I found one penny on the Bowery near Bond and another near Freeman's Alley on Rivington. And then the big money hit me on 4th Avenue near 13th Street where I found a dime. All of these coins were wet because of the rain and snow (yes, for about 90 seconds) but I don't care.

Total haul for the day = .12

TOTAL to date = $13.31 (nice symmetry)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Just Two

One penny found at Penn Station near Zabar's and another on 12th Street near the Strand.


TOTAL to date = $13.19

October 25

Someone dropped a dime at the Union Square farmer's market in front of a bread-seller and I found it.

TOTAL to date = $13.17

Friday, October 24, 2008

Black Jack!

Two dimes in *one* crosswalk. And then a penny to get the winning hand.

Total haul for the day = .21

TOTAL to date = $13.07

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Park that Pays

My dog and I found one penny at Union Square's little eastern triangle park. I got it before he peed on it.


TOTAL to date = $12.86

October 22

This is new - I found two pennies on a music stand in a studio on W 21st Street. Also found one on the floor of the pediatrician's office (covered in about three diseases for sure), and another on the sidewalk at 13th and 4th Avenue.

TOTAL to date = $12.85

Oct 21

Two pennies on the sidewalk in front of Whole Foods at Union Square.

TOTAL to date = $12.81

Oct 21

Two pennies on the sidewalk in front of Whole Foods at Union Square.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

TEN

I found a dime today in the gravel of the little oval park just east of Union Square Park. Very gratifying.

TOTAL to date = $12.79

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

One plus One

I am combining two days of finds here. Yesterday I found a single penny and today - can you believe the coincidence - I found another one! Maybe I'll find a fifty dollar bill when I walk the rascal later on.

TOTAL to date = $12.69

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Mame's Eleven

Sadly, "Mame's Eleven" does not star Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Rather, it features a penny and a dime with grimy pasts. Let me put it this way, the dime was still wet when I picked it up. In the bathroom of a department store. It's the price I pay to be a collector.

Total haul for the day = .11

TOTAL to date = $12.66

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

TWO

I think someone felt bad that I hadn't found any money lately because I found two pennies RIGHT outside my front door. Thanks goes to the generous bastard who dropped two cents for me. Would it hurt to part with a quarter next time?


Total haul today = .02


TOTAL to date = $12.55

Friday, October 3, 2008

Trip

Three pennies today. Two on Lafayette. One on Broadway.


Total haul today = .03

TOTAL to date = $12.53

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Good Morning! X 2

Between the paving stones in Union Square Park this morning I found two pennies *before* 9:00 a.m. The day is young, plenty of time to find more money.


TOTAL to date = $12.50

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

1+1+10+25

I found two pennies and, in front of a swanky hotel on the Bowery (times sure have changed), a dime. That's another twelve cents for my fortune.

UPDATE - late night dog walk led us to a QUARTER in the street near the cinema at 13th and Broadway. Paving crews have been digging up 13th Street for two nights now getting it ready for a new coat of blacktop. Apparently one of them lost a quarter in the line of duty. I saw it glinting in the red neon and it's mine now.

Total haul today = .37

TOTAL to date = $12.48

Just needed a nickel and we could've gone the cycle.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Flying Solo

Found one penny today at Lafayette and Prince.

Total haul today = .01

TOTAL to date = $12.11

Monday, September 29, 2008

Well-read Twins

I found two pennies in front of The Strand tonight while out walking. It was a gorgeous evening for a walk and the light was fantastic for architecture.

TOTAL to date = $12.10

Sunday, September 28, 2008

My Name Is Michael

...and I have a nickel. Found on University Street on a stoop. Just as a big as a full moon.


Total haul today = .05

TOTAL to date = $12.08

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Found Green

Walking through the green market in NYC's Union Square this rainy Saturday I did not find any coins but I did find some green - in the form of a scraggly little ivy. This poor thing was in the middle of the walk way getting stepped on and kicked around. I'm going to plant it. (Ivy is my favorite green.)

Total haul today = a little more oxygen at home

Friday, September 26, 2008

1 Again

1 cent. I saw another cent in a crack in the sidewalk but it was too grimy even for me.


TOTAL to date = $12.03

Thursday, September 25, 2008

4+7=11

Shoppers on 5th Avenue don't seem to care about pennies. I found three on lower 5th today and one at the register at Old Navy (it was on the floor), which is on 6th Avenue.

On the evening dog walk I found two shiny new pennies and one of those elusive nickels. People don't stop to pick up their change in the rain. Maybe they think they'll get their fingers dirty but I feel like the money is rain-water fresh!

Total haul for the day = .11

TOTAL to date = $12.02

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

4

Two pennies on 4th Avenue between 10th and 11th and then two more on Broadway around 20th.

Four is a nice even number.

Total haul today = .04

TOTAL to date = $11.91

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

1

Just one penny, found in a school. Should I have turned it into the Lost and Found? Or is it a case of Finders Keepers?

TOTAL to date = $11.87

Monday, September 22, 2008

Five

This morning I picked up a really grungy penny from next to a garbage can at Park Ave and 34th. A very well-dressed man talking on his cell-phone was clearly horrified by my pick-up. Well, lucky for him he's the last employed guy in NYC - does he have to sneer at the rest of us?

Later I found two more pennies on Park Avenue and nearly got into a scrap fetching one of them that had been simultaneously spotted by someone else. I called it so I got it - playground rules a apply and it's nice when people follow the rules.

And then I found one at the turnstile coming out of the 14th Street subway station and then another on 4th Avenue at 13th Street.

That makes five little Lincolns for the day.

Total haul today - .05

TOTAL to date = $11.86

We'll be $12 soon!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

One, Two - One, Two

Two pennies nearly under a garbage back on 5th Avenue near 20th Street.

Total haul today = .02

TOTAL to date = $11.81

Friday, September 19, 2008

Two if By Land


An early morning visit to the Deuce landed a penny in my pocket after I found it in the 42nd Street subway station. And later on Broadway near 10th Street I found another one. I've got two pennies and the day is young.

Total haul today = .02

TOTAL to date = $11.79

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Most Important Meal of the Day

A copper breakfast! I found two pennies in the little triangular park between Union Square Park and Philips Ambulatory Care (PAC, as the docs call it) on the eastern side. One was in the mulch where my hound was sniffing around and the other was on the ground by the garbage can.

A good way to start the day! Plus I found a button, which will end up on Lost Buttons eventually.

TOTAL to date - $11.77

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Does Eat Oats and Mares Eat Oats and I Found Dos Nickels!

See that? I mentioned recently how rare nickels are and today I found TWO! Right next to each other, hanging out with a dime. Oh, yeah. And all that craziness was after I found a penny in front of a Chinese produce distributor. Their attack cat tried to fight me for it but I won. The other coins were found in the doorway of an old loft building at Prince and Broadway.

I am on a mission to find a quarter today so I can go the cycle!

Total haul today = .26

TOTAL to date = $11.75

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Black Jack!

I plucked an oxidized dime out of the soil by a tree on University. Good thing it was after lunch instead of before because you know every dog south of 14th Street has peed on it. Then I found a penny near Kmart and then *another* dime (bright and shiny this time) in a crosswalk at Astor Place.

Total haul for the day = .21

TOTAL to date = $11.49

Nickels are so rare.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Now We're Talking

Late night dog walk yielded two pennies and a dime. About time. Maybe I should've waked him a few more blocks.

Today's haul (and we're not even an hour into the day) = .12

TOTAL to date = $11.40

September 14, 2008

Consistency can be really boring. I found another single penny today. Boooooring. It was in Union Square.


TOTAL to date = $11.28

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Singles Weekend, yeah!

Another solo penny. By a fruit-seller on Broadway near Madison Square park.

This means I'm due for a quarter.

TOTAL to date $11.27

Friday, September 12, 2008

One is the Onliest Number

I found one penny today about three feet from my front door.

TOTAL to date = $11.26

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Times Can't Be Too Tough

If I can find four pennies before noon, times can't be that bad. I found two on Broadway near 8th Street - one by a fruit seller and the other in front of Duane Reade. A woman watched me pick up the second one and blurted out the old saw, "Find a penny and pick it up - all day you'll have good luck." I felt like saying, "Lady, I'm lucky all day *every* day," because that's just how I feel. Instead, I told her that was my second one that day so she told me I'd be extra lucky today. She was right - I found four more pennies.

I found one on 5th Ave near 16th Street where people looked at me funny for picking it up. And the next in Union Square on the north side between McDonalds and the subway entrance.

And in the evening I found a pair of pennies hanging out on a sidewalk ramp toward a crosswalk on University at 11th Street.

Total haul today = .06

TOTAL to date = $11.25

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I Love a Fifth Wheel (When It's Copper)

I found one penny on Park Avenue South, another where Broadway crosses Fifth and then three more, all in a bunch, not ten feet from a panhandler by the Walgreens at 4th Avenue and 14th Street. If you're going to ask people for money, I think you need to put your heart into it by first collecting all the spare change at your feet.

Day's not over yet!

TOTAL to date = $11.19

Monday, September 8, 2008

Eagle-Eyed Toddler Strikes Again

Now that she's seen me find money in the subway and since we count change down on the tracks while waiting for trains, my girl is all about finding money when we ride the 'subway train' in NYC. Tonight she found two pennies (right next to each other - they often hang out in pairs) on a packed platform. I enjoyed the horrified looks from people as we stopped, stooped, and picked up the grimy cents. We're collectors!

Then I found a cleverly hidden dime in the big silver turnstile on the way out.

Total haul for the day .12

TOTAL to date = $11.14

Sunday, September 7, 2008

It's Raining Pennies

I found two pennies on the sidewalk coming down Broadway from Madison Square Park this morning.

Then I found another on the N-R-Q-W platform at Union Square.

The fourth one was found by my toddler in some shrubs in front of an apartment complex in Astoria, Queens. She loves the way I light up when she brings me filthy coins.

Speaking of toddlers in Astoria, a Greek woman of a certain age took a liking to my giant tot and asked me if she could give her a dollar. I couldn't believe my ears. Was someone really trying to put cash in our hands for fun!? I said, "Beg your pardon" since I was not familiar with this custom - my kid clearly has not lost any teeth yet. The woman repeated her request - could she give my daughter a dollar. I thought it would be rude to say no so I said, with a large grin, sure. The kid was way more interested in her black & white cookie and ignored the dollar (I helped tuck it in the pocket) but she said thank you any way (after being instructed to do so) and Yaya was happy. (This dollar, however lovely and windfallish, does not qualify as found and will not be included in the day's tally. In fact, it almost didn't make it past the .99 store any way since my kid had her eye on a certain cheap watering can.)

Can anyone give me tips on relocating to Greece?

Total haul today = .04

TOTAL to date = $11.02

Friday, September 5, 2008

The Elusive Five Cent Piece

I found a nickel. I rarely find nickels. I find nickels as often as I find paper.

This nickel was on the sidewalk at night but kept getting passed over because all the pedestrians were decked out in their finery and either didn't want to split their pants trying to pick it up or couldn't figure out how to bend down that low without flashing the world. Or maybe they were all just looking up. Any way you slice it, I'm five cents richer. Well, six cents richer, really, because I found a penny in my building's elevator this morning.

If you find a penny in your building you don't put up a flyer asking if someone lost it. How much money would you have to find before the thought entered your mind that *someone* - if not you - would post a notice about it? $500? More?

Total haul for the day = .06

TOTAL to date = $10.98

We'll be 11 soon!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Another Dos Centavos, Again!

Pennies are hanging out in crosswalks these days. I found another one in the crosswalk over 4th Avenue at 13th Street. I also found one on the sidewalk of Prince near Broadway.

And a fat quarter on the floor of a cab - that find made my day!

Total haul today = .27

TOTAL to date $10.92

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Another Dos Centavos!

I found two cents in one crosswalk today. It was while crossing 34th Street at Park Avenue.

Total haul for the day = .02

TOTAL to date = $10.65

Do you think Sarah Palin's face will ever end up on American currency?

September 2, 2008

Dos Centavos!

I didn't find a thing on Labor Day - more like Volunteer Day since I didn't get paid. Today I found a penny on the new light gravel surface sporting tables and umbrellas where 5th Avenue and Broadway cross at 23rd Street (who wants to sit there between the buses that are bombing downtown?) and another on Crosby near Prince.

Total haul for the day = .02

TOTAL to date = $10.63

Sunday, August 31, 2008

One is Better than None

During the evening dog walk through Union Square we stopped to watch the sword-swallowers, flame-tossers, and break-dancers. In the throng we found a penny on the paving stones. Beats coming home empty handed.

This is the dude we saw only it was dark when we saw him so the flame was much brighter. I guess those guys have a low rate of gingivitis? Photo courtesy of Promaine on Flickr.



Total haul today = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.62

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Roller Coaster!

Hot vs. Cold, Drought vs. Deluge - what's going on? August has been a wacky month for Found Money. Yesterday and so far today - nothing but goose eggs. But I have big hope for tonight. I'll be going out where people drink and that's often a good place to find what someone else has lost.



p.s. This is image is titled "Pedal Roller Coaster" and I think I see some people pedaling a little cab on the tracks. Does that mean that you pedal yourself up to the top before coasting? That would be fun. I think this is in Japan.

The drunks didn't drop any sawbucks for me but I did find a penny when I took my dog out for a whiz before I left for the evening. I may not have found a ton of cash, but I sure had a nice time out tonight.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.61

Thursday, August 28, 2008

He Ain't Heavy

He's just one penny. Found on Broadway by a garbage can between Bleecker and Bond. Now I just need to find a nickel or dime so I can break the yo-yo pattern.

So far today, hoping for an update later = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.60

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Patterns

Seems like I'm finding one or zero pennies one day and about 12 or 13 cents the next. Yesterday - nothing. Today, one penny in a cab, one penny at Prince near Broadway, and a dime in the middle of Bond Street at Lafayette. All before noon. And then nothing the rest of the day. Weird!

The dime, by the way, was between cobblestones in the street and it was covered on one side in mortar or something and the next side was completely tarnished so it was well disguised. But not well enough for me to miss.

Total haul for the day = .12
Late dog-walking find = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.59

I'm in the mood to find a manila envelope with about fifty grand worth of c-notes in it tomorrow.

August 26th

Another no money day - what's up!? I guess I wasn't out and about as much as usual, but still coming up with a zero for the day is not normal.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

One

August 25, 2008

One penny found spinning at the doorway of 347 5th Avenue - directly across the street from the Empire State Building.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.46

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Get Paid to Walk Your Own Dog

It's not the best paying job in town, but I got a penny for walking my money-pit critter this morning. One penny found in Union Square near the George Washington sculpture. Right near where I found an emo button.

Total haul today = .01

TOTAL to date = $10.45

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Baker's Dozen

Walgreen's should advertise that it gives away free money with prescriptions. I found a dime on the floor near the pharmacy counter and a penny at the front door. Add a penny from the pastry shop and another penny on the floor at the Staple's Union Square check-out and you're looking at 13 cents. Almost enough to make up for the last couple of days' drought.

Total haul for the day = .13

TOTAL to date = $10.44

WTF?

More than 48 hours and no free clams? Wassup? It's not like I was bedridden the last two days. I was out there hoofing it like every other New Yorker who loves a beautiful day. I walked through the Lower East side, the East Village, up and down lower Madison Avenue, Union Square Park and more.

Could it be that everyone has spent their Economic Stimulus checks and now we're all back to counting pennies and clipping coupons? No way, man. This is New York! I'll find big money today - I just know it.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Drop a Dime

Someone dropped a dime on Park Avenue South near 31st Street. I found it.

Total haul for the day = .10

TOTAL to date = $10.31

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Midnight Money


One Penny found on 13th Street shortly after midnight.

The morning commute coughed up a dime on East 13th Street and then I found yet another penny on Park Avenue at 34th Street at lunch.

Strolling to dinner I found another cent on East 13th Street.

Total haul for the day = .13

TOTAL to date = 10.21

Monday, August 18, 2008

Dalmations

I found a penny earlier today. Combine that with the single dollar bill I found parked on the sidewalk next to a livery car on Lexington near 34th and you've got 101. Hello, Cruella.

I was walking with a friend after lunch and nearly mowed him and the oncoming pedestrians down trying to get to the little single that sat flapping in the summer breeze. "Excuse me," I said, pushing people around, "I just found a dollar." After I plucked it, my (slightly envious) friend made a good point. He said, "You know, that kind of find is all about timing. That dollar hasn't been sitting there for the last hour." It won't be sitting there for the next one either.


And then, I found a dime in the middle of the sidewalk on 4th Avenue between 13th and 14th streets during the evening commute. That means I ran the decimal cycle; .01, .10 and 1.00. With any luck I'll find a 10.00 bill on the evening dog walk.


Total haul for the day = Dalmations + .10 = $1.11

TOTAL to date = $10.08

Uno!

15th Street had a penny for us this morning while walking the dog.

TOTAL to date = $8.98

Six Cents

August 17, 2008

First day back in New York City and I found six pennies on one block. I love this town.


Total haul for the day .06

TOTAL to date $8.97

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

August 11, 2008 - Port Townsend, WA

One penny on the floor near the cash register at Sea J's. Amaaaazing fish and chips. They even serve vinegar. And everyone loves their milk shakes.

Total haul for that day = .01

TOTAL to date = $8.91

Sunday, August 10, 2008

August 9, 2008 - Port Orchard, WA

1 penny outside the 76 station off the highway from SEATAC.

I'm in Port Townsend, WA for the week - we;ll see what I can find at the Jeefferson County Fair today.


TOTAL to date = $8.90

Friday, August 8, 2008

One, Two, Three Times a Lincoln

1. I found my first penny in an elevator on Madison Avenue around lunchtime.

2. During the evening commute, while walking my hound, I found a penny in the mulch under a tree on 13th Street near University. You have to look everywhere. Or let everything and anything catch your eye.

My hound looking for spare change in the way of short ribs and chicken wings.

My hound trying to work me over for another teaspoon of cream cheese.

3. Third cent was also found on 13th Street between the service end of Whole Foods (the guys who work on that dock are pretty cool) and the stinky part of Cosi at Broadway. The penny was perched sideways, edge up, on the grille of a subway grate and it was looking committed to a dive. I saved it and now it is safe in my red fat piggy bank and enjoying the company of other little copper Lincolns.


Total haul for the day = .03 (small number but exciting finds)

TOTAL to date = $8.89

Thursday, August 7, 2008

1/4

A quarter in Union Square during the evening rush hour. Sitting on the paving stones near enough to some guy's feet for me to wonder if it was his, but not near enough for him to try and claim it! I suppose I could have asked him it it was his but I'm a collector!

Total haul for the day = .25

TOTAL to date = $8.86

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

5 Lil' Lincolns

Okay, now the kid is bringing home spare change. Only three years old and today she found four cents while she was out and about on the town. She found one cent in the bank (she didn't steal it, it was on the floor by the ATM), one in a store, and two on 4th Avenue. Her old mom only found one cent on Madison in the afternoon.

Total Mother-daughter haul for the day = .05

TOTAL haul for the day = $8.66

Monday, August 4, 2008

Are you sitting down?

You might want to grab a chair and hold onto your hat for this one.
More paper!
Big Paper!

After an entirely cashless weekend I was pleased to resume collecting when I found a penny in the gutter just outside my building first thing in the morning. But who cares about that. At some time shortly after noon I found a FIVE DOLLAR BILL in an office building on Madison Avenue. Five bucks. A fin. And as if that wasn't enough, I found four more pennies on Park Avenue South after lunch. One was on the east side of the street at 3 Park Avenue South and the others were on the west at 27, 28, & 29th Streets.

And one late entry coming in under the midnight wire. One more cent found on Broadway in front of the Mavi store south of 13th Street.



Total mind-blowing haul for the day = $5.06

TOTAL to date = $8.61

Fuggetaboutit!

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da

August 2 & 3
I spent the weekend on a private island and, while a few acorn caps did catch my eye, I did not find any stranded coins.

Friday, August 1, 2008

UNO!

After a zip-zats-nada day yesterday I was happy to find a little copper joy on the sidewalk next to the little park on Union Sq West between 14th and 15th Sts.

Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $3.54

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

16-2=14

This is a heartbreaker. I found two pennies this morning in the vicinity of Lafayette and Houston. Later in the morning, as I entered the turnstile at the 14th Street - Union Square subway station, I saw the familiar silver glint. Ah, yes, a dime. It was between the walls of the turnstile and when I bent down to get it I saw a neighboring penny, plucked it, swiped my card, turned the stile, and then spied yet another penny. This one was more difficult to retrieve however because people were following me in. I had to wait for two to go in and one to go out and then I was up to 14 damn cents and it wasn't even noon.

Here's where the heartbreak comes in. On the evening commute I spotted two *more* pennies (they do like the company of their own kind) under the bench across from me. They were pretty far back under the bench, which was loaded with folks. At 28th the folks didn't budge. At 23rd they didn't budge. It was a nail-biter to 14th. I thought that maybe at 14th Street they'd depart and I would be able to put my long foot under the bench and slide the pennies out with my sneaker and still get off the train before the doors closed. The train pulled into the 14th Street station and the guy above the pennies didn't make any motion at all like this was his stop. He was going to ride that train to Brooklyn Bridge, I could see it in his eyes. Do I go over to him, stick my foot between his legs, slide it out, and then bend down and pick up two pennies? Too weird? I've seen crazier things on the subway but still. Nope. I left them and buoyed my thoughts of despair with the idea that perhaps an MTA worker would find them while cleaning and give them a good home.

Total haul for the day = 14 cents

TOTAL to date = $3.53

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

1+1=2

9:21 a.m. 13th Street near Avenue A, one cent.
9:26 a.m. 13th Street between Blimpie and the Palladium, another cent.

Today's haul = 2 cents

TOTAL to date = $3.41

Monday, July 28, 2008

Paper Jack-Pot!

12:37 a.m. It's only a single but it's still worth a celebration. Paper finds are rare. I found a sawbuck on E 80th Street in June (before I started the blog) while walking over to the Met. And during a hard spring rain I found a double sawbuck wrapped in a Circuit City receipt on 4th Avenue, so it is possible.

This little single was hanging out under the curb on 4th Avenue near 14th Street. My guess is that it fell out of one of the many SUVs that pulled up to unload from fun weekends in the sun. The types of trips made by people who wouldn't miss a dollar. Or maybe a drunk dropped it. Who knows, who cares, now it's mine!



Update: 11:07 a.m. One penny found in front of 3 Park Avenue South.
Update: 5:41 p.m. Another cent found on the corner of Spring and Broadway.

Total haul today = $1.02

TOTAL to date = $3.38

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ker-plunk.

I spent a lot of time out and about walking around town and was starting to think today would be a no money day. And then I got to the front door of my building and what was waiting for me? I'll give you a hint, it's round, it's copper and it sports a likeness of Lincoln. I would prefer a quarter, or five, but I'll take a penny over a goose egg.

Total haul for the day 1 cent.

Total to date = $2.27

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ka-ching.

9:51 a.m. Grand Central Station Zaro's, a dime on the floor in front of the glass case of pastries.

3:47 p.m. Grand Central Station platform of Track 29, a quarter hiding among all the silver bolts holding down the rubber safety yellow at the edge of the platform.

5:17 Broadway just north of 17th Street on the east side in front of GoodBurger, a penny.

5:18 Union Square North at Broadway, ANOTHER dime near that "Gentleman Grafter" Joe Ades who sells vegetable peelers and who has appeared in Vanity Fair. He saw me bend down and get the dime and I know he wanted it but it was way too far from him to claim. It was practically in 17th Street.

Total bank-breaking haul for the day = 46 cents

TOTAL to date = $2.36

Friday, July 25, 2008

Bo Derek

I found a dime coming home from Trader Joe's at rush hour. I had to put down the bags to pick it up but, hell, I'd put my bags down to pick a penny!


Total haul today = .10

TOTAL to date = $1.90

Would anyone like to make bets on when I'll $2 or $5?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Copper Sandwich

I did some hoofing this morning and didn't see as much as a bottle cap. I was worried it would be another zero sum day. The evening commute cured that.

On Madison Avenue, halfway across 30th Street in the north crosswalk, I found a penny. No big deal, right?

Then on the ramp up the curb from the crosswalk over 29th Street, also on Madison, I saw something small and silver. Could it be? Oh, yes it could and it is - a dime.

And then on Broadway between 20th and 21st Streets on the east side of the street, another penny to complete the copper sandwich.

Total haul for the day = a promising 12 cents

TOTAL to date = a whopping $1.80

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

X cents

First, I found an aluminum coin that appears to be Chinese. I bet it's worth less than a cent considering that it is small, aluminum, and has a denomination of 1. I will identify and update.





Later in the morning I found a penny on 13th Street near Avenue A and then I found a penny on 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Update - Stranded Cent. I found yet another copper wonder in a crack in the sidewalk in front of the Strand at 12th and Broadway. Just under the midnight wire at 11:47 p.m.

Total haul today = +.03

TOTAL to date = $1.68

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

July 21

ONE CENT.

Found it on University in the morning near 12th Street.

Total for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $1.66

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Two Copper Wheel Drive

One penny found at 6:30 by the garbage can in front of Circuit City in Union Square. Another penny found in a lonely 51st Street and Lexington Avenue subway station whose ratty old escalator appears below. Note the duct tape under the hand rail and around all the way to the baseboard.





Today's haul = .02

TOTAL to date = $1.65

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Four Copper Wheel Drive

Actually it was a walk but I found four pennies huddled together at the entrance of Washington Square Park at University and Wash Square Park North/Waverly. Maybe they were trying to stay warm.

I'm headed up to Times Square later so maybe I'll find a c-note or something equally exciting.

FIFTH WHEEL
11:30 After the marathon of DARK KNIGHT (why are the critics so in love with that movie?) I found another penny in the Times Square subway station.

Total haul for the day = .5

TOTAL to date = $1.63

Friday, July 18, 2008

Zzzzzzzzzzzz...

I'm still recovering from tallying up yesterday's haul. Nothing for today even though I did some walking in the 99F heat.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Hot Damn and then some!

Finally, a quarter. 25 whole cents. I've needed this. It's been nothing or solo pennies for too long. I was just saying to myself yesterday while walking home from work, "I really need to find a quarter." Bonzai! This morning I found a quarter on the uptown platform of the 6 train's Spring Street Station.

It's about time.

Then, after the evening commute, I found three pennies near the turnstiles at the 14th Street subway station entrance near Circuit City. And a dime - get this - in the doorway of the train. I mean it was on the plate where the actual doors slide open and closed. When the doors were closed the dime rode on the *outside* of the car, until I plucked that is.

Total haul for the day = .38 (about 1/4 of the total to date!)

TOTAL to date = $1.58

Yow.

July 16th - Early Morning, Real Early

At some point during the 14th and 15th innings of the marathon MLB All Star Game, I found a penny in front of Forbidden Planet at 13th Street and Broadway.

Total haul for tha day = .01

TOTAL to date = $1.20

July 15th

Relief at last. I found a penny in front of Fresh on Spring Street in front of the stairs down to the subway.


Total haul for the day = .01

TOTAL to date = $1.19

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Nope. Nothing.

Didn't Have To Leave The Building

Sometimes people leave money in the washing machines and dryers. Sometimes in the elevator. Today I found a penny on the roof patio of my building. Plucked it right out of the gravel and put it on the table. A three-year old came up to me later, picked it up and said, "I found a penny." I corrected her, "You found a penny that is MINE. I found it first."

Total haul = .01

TOTAL to date = $1.18

Saturday, July 12, 2008

1+1+1=3

1. Found under a tree on 13th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue at 9:00 a.m.

2. Found on Madison Avenue (east-side of the street) on the sidewalk just north of 33rd Street.

3. Found on Madison Avenue (west-side of the street) on the sidewalk just south of 27th Street.

Total haul for the day = .03

TOTAL to date = $1.17

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Opinionated!

I have two more cents to give thanks to the southern-most staircase headed to the uptown ACE train at the 14th Street Station. In fact, there may have been more cents in the vicinity (since the ones I found were huddled together, frequently pennies are found in packlets) but I didn't have time to look because the train was in the station. You gotta hustle when you see the express pull in.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Just My Two Cents

It was a grim start of the day when, after hoofing it all over town, I saw nothing but a single grimy cent flatlined between subway rails.

But things picked up during the evening commute when I found one penny on the east sidewalk of Broadway just before 17th Street. Phew. Probably dropped by a PetCo shopper while wrestling with his or her beast. It had been a while since finding money and I was starting to worry that I might have to report nothing. And then, walking through the Union Square Green Market that was packing it in, I saw another abandoned penny on the pavement near a vegetable seller.

Total haul for the day = my two cents

TOTAL to date = $1.14

Time to find a oner, a fin, a sawbuck, or a double sawbuck and get these totals jumping.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Uh, oh.

Has the gravy train ended? Did heaven go broke? I was in a few parts of town today with eyes peeled for the gratis gelt and there was none to be found.

I'll try again tomorrow. I hope I don't have to empty my own change purse on the sidewalk just to have something to day.

Haul for the day = naught

TOTAL to date = same as the last post

Monday, July 7, 2008

July 5, 6, & 7

July 7
Back Bay Station in Boston - nothing but diesel train fumes. Back in NYC and times must be tough because Penn Station was picked clean (or I was tired). There's still one more dog walk before the day is done but it's looking like a wash so far.

Total Haul for the day = naught

July 6
Boston is a clean city. The streets are so clean they don't even have money on them. After a trip to the New England Aquarium, where I expected to find more than one wayward penny, I was surprised to come home empty handed. Didn't find a thing. Not in the long line to buy tickets, not in the parking garage, not even stuck between the brick paving. That town is so clean you could pick your teeth with it.

Total haul for the day = naught

July 5
Found a nickel wedged between the curb and the picturesque sidewalk paving stones while walking to the ferry bound for Boston.

Total haul for the day = .05

TOTAL to date = $1.12

Friday, July 4, 2008

July 3 and July 4 - Still in Provincetown

JULY 4
When you think you may have finally met the day that offers no found money - head to the liquor store. I found a penny wedged between the sidewalk and the metal plate of the door (I think it's called a 'saddle'). I nearly got trampled when I stopped to pick it up because the July Fourth revellers from all over the Cape were anxious to stock up before the fireworks.

Then I found three crusty old pennies in the back yard.

Day's haul = 4 Independent cents

TOTAL to date = $1.07


JULY 3
I found a penny and a dime under someone's clothesline today. That's a good place to look for spare change - same as looking in the dryer.

Day's haul = 11 cents

TOTAL to date = $1.03

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Might Have to Hire Movers

I'm in Provincetown for a week and I'm finding so much change I might have to hire movers to get it all back to New York. Yesterday, July 1st, I found a dime, a nickel, and a penny on the Lucky Star/Fung Wah bus from NYC to Boston (I guess the fare is so cheap that people don't care about dropping change). You *know* the bus cleaning crew was bummed out that I found all the change before they did. That's 16 cents right there.

Then, in P-town I found a dime on the sidewalk at Portuguese Sq around supper time and there was a nickel on the bed stand in my room at the Burch House. That's 31 cents for the July 1 total.

Then on the morning of July 2 there was a penny in the garden at Burch House and *another* nickel under the bed. Drunk tooth fairy? Who knows but I hauled in 37 cents in two days on vacation. Not enough to pay for the room but enough to fatten my greedy little piggy bank.

Total Haul for July 1 & 2 = 37 cents

TOTAL to date = 92 cents (almost a dollar!)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

You Don't Have to Go Far

I found *another* dime in the cross walk, right near the curb, by Circuit City at 14th Street and 4th Avenue. 10:37 a.m.

The Streak Continues

Just when I thought a day would surely go by without any found money, I found a penny at 11:52 p.m. in Union Square Park. After being laid up for the day (and fried on valium) I figured I had no chance of finding any money - you need to be out there to find it. But I had to take my dog out for a walk - the same dog who stepped on my foot last night and hurt it so bad that I ended up hopping into the ER at 4:00 a.m. With the use of my newly acquired cane we went to the small little park at 14th and 4th Avenue where I saw a penny in the oval gravel walkway. It was nice to have a cane to uncover it before picking it up.

Total haul today = .01

TOTAL to date = .55

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Lucky 13

10:23 a.m. in Union Square Park I saw someone that closely resembled Franklin D. Roosevelt without his glasses. When I looked a second time I saw that it *was* Franklin D without his glasses - on a dime. It was glinting up from the grass.

At Tisserie about ten minutes later I found one penny on the floor next to the cashier's counter and another by the Barista's counter. I guess people are aware of it when they drop pennies but they fear being seen as cheap or miserly if they pick them up so they just leave them. It's sad how much shame can be brought on by money.

The real excitement came on the down escalator at the Union Square Movie theater around 5:00 p.m. (after seeing WANTED) when I saw a penny perched right at the edge of the landing. There were people behind me. Would I have enough time to step off the moving escalator, turn around, and scoop it up without getting trampled? Could I pick it up on the fly? There was no time for that. I had to double back. Not only did I get it without losing a finger to the moving stairs or the departing movie-goers, but after I stood up my friend said, "Nice scoop," and he doesn't even like pennies.

TOTAL haul today = .13

TOTAL since June 22, 2008 = .54

Saturday, June 28, 2008

One A Penny Poker

One penny found in front of Walgreen's at 14th Street and 4th Avenue. It was on the 14th Street side near the Walgreen's entrance.

Total to date = .41

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Line Forms on the Right, Dear

The Catholic Church must be flush because they've got change sitting out on the front lawn. I found a shiny new penny on the Prince Street sidewalk across from the wall of St. Patrick's (in front of the parochial school) between Mulberry and Mott Streets. 10:07 a.m.

The second cent was cleverly hidden in the root structure of an old Elm tree in Union Square Park. It was trying hard to blend in and had oxidized to the color of dirt but that penny shape is unmistakable. Plucked at 11:32 a.m.

The third cent was found near the Blimpie at 4th Avenue and 13th Street - again! 3:02 p.m.

Miss Lulu Brown and Polly Peachum graciously contributed to this post.

Total haul for the day = Three pennies
TOTAL to date = .40

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Get Out Your Calculator...

And look up the UK Pound exchange rate - I found 5p. That's 5 pence. This currency calculator tells me that the little 5p coin is worth 9 cents! Although it qualifies as found money I won't be factoring the total into the TOTAL to date because it's hard to exchange a 5p coin.

Found at 9:23 a.m. 13th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

10-1-10

Hot diggity damn. 21 cents in four blocks.

Wet dime found in front of flower stands at deli on southwest corner of 1st Avenue and 13th Street. It was in a small puddle of clean water in front of carnations and baby's breath. 9:31 a.m.

Penny found on 13th Street behind the old Palladium, in front of the Bank Street Daycare. 9:42 a.m.

Second dime found in front of Blimpie's on the corner of 4th Avenue and 13th Street. I was running for the light (shortest light in Manhattan is the 13th Street light at 4th Avenue) and had to put the brakes on to pick up the dime. Still made the light. 9:43 a.m.





People in this town must be *rich.*

TOTAL to date = .37 cents

One Cent

One penny found in front of the door of the Subway on 4th Avenue at 12th Street. I was walking home at the end of the day and really worried that I wasn't going to find any money. Then I bumped into a friend and chatted just long enough to spot a grumpy penny loitering near the Subway door.

Total to date = .16

Monday, June 23, 2008

Union Square West by the Newsstand

One penny on the sidewalk in front of the newsstand next to the park. 11:30 a.m.

TOTAL to date = .15

Sunday, June 22, 2008

14th Street, sidewalk across from Circuit City

Two candy-covered pennies. It was raining and the candy melted enough to show the copper. I rinsed them off at home. Looked like there had been a fight in the bottom of a purse between two cents and a cherry-flavored lifesaver. Who won? Me! I got two cents for walking out the door.

Total to date = .14

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Friday, June 20, 2008