Penny Priestess offers thoughts, and it doesn’t cost a penny

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/12/2011 (5218 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TEN years ago, a struggling American writer stopped to pick up a penny she spotted lying in the street. Later that same day, the woman heard from an editor who was looking for somebody to pen a mass-market book. Coincidence? The writer didn’t think so and speculated as much in a message to a friend.

“As the emails went back and forth, I established myself as the tongue-incheek authority on lucky pennies,” the woman says from her home near Philadelphia. Her friend concurred, then ordained her the “Penny Priestess.”

Since then, the Penny Priestess has become a go-to source for copper-related queries. People from around the globe now contact the Dear Abby-type through her website (www.pennypriestess. org), seeking answers to head-scratchers like “I have witnessed people finding pennies and then eating them, thinking it was good luck. Is this true?” or “My last name is Penny.

Am I lucky?” (“No,” and “Yes,” the Priestess replied, adding re: the latter, “Think of the poor unfortunates who have to go through life with names like Skoggs or Crapley or Borenschlosser.”) Given that the Winnipeg Free Press’s Pennies from Heaven campaign is once again in full swing, we recently contacted the Penny Priestess to pose a few questions of our own. And to shed some light on a humble marker that, for 17 years, has been the cornerstone of a fundraiser aimed at helping less fortunate Manitobans.

 

First of all, are you a self-educated Penny Priestess or is there a Pennies for Dummies guide out there somewhere?

“I am a self-taught contemplator of pennies, but a professionally trained splitter of hairs. What I don’t know about pennies I’m fairly adept at making up on the spot.”

 

A lot of the questions you entertain centre around what to do when you cross paths with an errant penny. Just curious: Do you personally make it a habit to scoop up lost or discarded pennies every chance you get?

“I almost always pick up pennies, making a few prudent exceptions for pennies spotted in risky locations. Such as in a mob of people rushing for a train, or a busy intersection with oncoming traffic. Pennies are lucky, but possibly not lucky enough to stop a tractor-trailer with bad brakes.”

 

Is there a hard-and-fast rule about finding a penny? Are you supposed to give it away to the first person you come across in order to cash in on any intrinsic luck?

“The idea behind the give-it-away ritual is that you, the penny-finder, will increase your luckiness by giving the almost valueless penny to someone else. Sounds a bit inconsiderate to the PP. The other person gets nothing out of the exchange except $.01. Besides, here in the city of Philadelphia we are known for our rudeness. Stopping a stranger on the street to offer him a penny would probably not be a smart manoeuvre. Getting out of it with just a few choice curses directed at you and your $%&#-ing penny would be lucky.”

 

Do you know if it’s luckier to find a Canadian penny versus an American one? Does a Queen trump Honest Abe?

“The Queen has the prettier profile but looks aren’t everything. All pennies are lucky. Ditto all low-value coins in other currencies: centimes, drachmas, pice, öre, agorot and so on.”

 

Are you familiar with Winnipeg at all? We’re somewhat famous for our pennypinching ways.

“Never been there. If Winnipeggers are tight with their pennies then they probably don’t drop them in the street very often. Or else they promptly retrieve them if they do. So, not a whole lot of luck to be plucked off the sidewalk in your part of the world.”

 

Have you ever entertained the notion of charging for advice, along the lines of “A penny for your thoughts?”

“It’s an idea. Of course, to make it pay it would have to be something along the lines of “A penny for your thoughts, $50/hour for mine.”

 

The Canadian government, like the American, is considering doing away with the one-cent coin altogether. Where do you stand on this issue?

“Doing so might be penny-wise and pound-foolish. A nickel would then be the low-value coin and prices would get rounded up or down — probably up, increasing inflation.

“However, the Penny Priestess majored in English, not economics.

And the penny has a rich history in our language. Phrases, proverbs and compounds deriving from “penny” go on and on. To turn a penny. A pretty penny. To deem one’s penny silver — that’s a nice one. Linguistically, the other coins aren’t worth a plug nickel or a lousy dime.”

 

Where to take donations for Pennies from Heaven?

• There are large collection bins inside each of the city’s Walmart stores. Look for the bin with the photo of myself and Doc Walker near the front entrance (hint: I’m the one with the wings.) All RBC branches in the city have our collection bins.
• Our giant penny can once again be found on the second floor of Portage Place across from customer service. The Free Press News Café at 237 McDermot Ave. is a new drop-off spot this year. You can even grab a coffee or sandwich while you’re there.
• The Free Press office at 1355 Mountain Ave.
• Cheques can be sent to Pennies from Heaven, c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Tax receipts will be issued.

— Kevin Rollason