Man Cashes in 500K Lucky Pennies

Otha Anders picked up his first lucky penny more than 45 years ago. Since then, he's gone out of his way to get as many as possible, each one a "God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful," the 73-year-old tells the News-Star of Monroe, La. "I would never spend a penny," he says. "I would break a dollar before giving up a penny." His efforts have paid off: Anders cashed in all of his pennies—which filled fifteen five-gallon jugs and took five hours to count, even with the help of a machine—at a bank in Ruston on Tuesday. His big plan: to use the $5,136.14 to help pay off a recent dental bill. (More penny stories.)