Pennies! By Zach Margolis

This is the change that my family and I have found in every year since 2017, and a few friends started contributing in 2022. It's our friendly little competition, and everyone's a winner (and I'm the biggest winner).

Results

Year-over-year summaries

By Count

Zach: 263 in 2017Zach: 146 in 2018Zach: 181 in 2019Zach: 275 in 2020Zach: 258 in 2021Zach: 191 in 2022Zach: 193 in 2023Zach: 213 in 2024ZachDad: 114 in 2017Dad: 27 in 2018Dad: 27 in 2019Dad: 38 in 2020Dad: 55 in 2021Dad: 69 in 2022Dad: 46 in 2023Dad: 20 in 2024DadNoah: 6 in 2017Noah: 7 in 2018Noah: 14 in 2019Noah: 13 in 2020Noah: 17 in 2021Noah: 13 in 2022Noah: 20 in 2023Noah: 4 in 2024NoahMom: 2 in 2017Mom: 8 in 2018Mom: 11 in 2019Mom: 5 in 2020Mom: 17 in 2021Mom: 17 in 2022Mom: 9 in 2023Mom: 119 in 2024Mom

By Amount (USD only)

Zach: $9 in 2017Zach: $25 in 2018Zach: $5 in 2019Zach: $7 in 2020Zach: $8 in 2021Zach: $28 in 2022Zach: $8 in 2023Zach: $8 in 2024ZachDad: $4 in 2017Dad: $1 in 2018Dad: $1 in 2019Dad: $3 in 2020Dad: $4 in 2021Dad: $3 in 2022Dad: $12 in 2023Dad: $1 in 2024DadNoah: $1 in 2017Noah: $0 in 2018Noah: $0 in 2019Noah: $0 in 2020Noah: $1 in 2021Noah: $1 in 2022Noah: $1 in 2023Noah: $0 in 2024NoahMom: $0 in 2017Mom: $0 in 2018Mom: $0 in 2019Mom: $0 in 2020Mom: $1 in 2021Mom: $1 in 2022Mom: $0 in 2023Mom: $5 in 2024Mom

Year in Detail

20172018201920202021202220232024
PersonTotal PickupsTotal Value
● Zach2138.11 USD 5 JPY 0.02 MXP 0.05 SGD
● Mom1195.07 USD 2.00 CHF 0.50 MXP
● Dad200.50 USD
● Noah40.04 USD

Timeline

ZachPenny (Jan 03)Penny (Jan 04)Penny (Jan 05)Penny (Jan 05)Penny (Jan 05)Penny (Jan 06)Penny (Jan 06)Penny (Jan 06)Penny (Jan 06)Dime (Jan 07)Penny (Jan 08)Penny (Jan 11)Penny (Jan 11)Penny (Jan 11)Penny (Jan 14)Penny (Jan 14)Penny (Jan 15)Penny (Jan 15)Penny (Jan 16)Penny (Jan 16)Penny (Jan 17)Penny (Jan 21)Penny (Jan 22)Penny (Jan 24)Penny (Jan 26)Penny (Jan 26)Penny (Jan 27)Penny (Jan 29)Penny (Jan 30)Penny (Feb 02)Penny (Feb 02)Penny (Feb 03)Penny (Feb 03)Penny (Feb 03)Dime (Feb 03)Penny (Feb 03)Penny (Feb 06)Penny (Feb 06)Penny (Feb 09)Penny (Feb 12)Penny (Feb 13)Penny (Feb 13)Penny (Feb 27)Penny (Feb 27)Dime (Feb 28)Penny (Feb 28)Penny (Feb 28)Penny (Mar 01)Penny (Mar 01)Penny (Mar 03)Dime (Mar 03)Penny (Mar 03)Dime (Mar 04)Nickel (Mar 07)Penny (Mar 08)Penny (Mar 08)Dime (Mar 08)Penny (Mar 12)Penny (Mar 12)2 Centavo (Mar 15)Nickel (Mar 20)Penny (Mar 22)Penny (Mar 27)Penny (Mar 29)Penny (Mar 31)Penny (Mar 31)Nickel (Apr 01)Penny (Apr 17)Penny (Apr 18)Quarter (Apr 21)Penny (Apr 27)Penny (May 06)Quarter (May 06)Penny (May 13)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 15)Penny (May 17)Penny (May 20)Dime (May 28)Penny (May 28)Penny (Jun 01)Quarter (Jun 05)Quarter (Jun 08)Penny (Jun 10)Penny (Jun 11)Penny (Jun 18)Penny (Jun 18)Dime (Jun 27)Penny (Jun 28)Penny (Jun 29)Penny (Jun 29)Penny (Jul 02)Penny (Jul 05)Penny (Jul 05)5 Yen (Jul 14)5 Singapore Cent (Jul 21)Penny (Jul 22)Penny (Jul 22)Nickel (Jul 25)Penny (Jul 30)Penny (Aug 01)Penny (Aug 03)Penny (Aug 03)Penny (Aug 03)Penny (Aug 06)Nickel (Aug 10)Penny (Aug 15)Dime (Aug 21)Penny (Aug 21)Penny (Aug 21)Penny (Aug 21)Penny (Aug 24)Penny (Aug 24)Dime (Aug 26)Penny (Aug 26)Penny (Aug 28)Dime (Aug 26)Penny (Sep 02)Penny (Sep 02)Penny (Sep 02)Nickel (Sep 06)Penny (Sep 09)Penny (Sep 10)Penny (Sep 10)Penny (Sep 10)Penny (Sep 13)Dime (Sep 13)Penny (Sep 15)Penny (Sep 17)Penny (Sep 19)Penny (Sep 19)Dime (Sep 22)Dime (Sep 22)Penny (Sep 22)Penny (Sep 22)Penny (Sep 22)Penny (Sep 23)Dime (Sep 24)Dime (Sep 24)Penny (Sep 24)Penny (Sep 24)Penny (Sep 27)Penny (Sep 28)Penny (Sep 28)Penny (Sep 29)Penny (Sep 29)Penny (Sep 29)Penny (Oct 11)Penny (Oct 14)Penny (Oct 14)Penny (Oct 18)Penny (Oct 21)Penny (Oct 22)Penny (Oct 28)Penny (Oct 28)Penny (Oct 28)Dime (Oct 29)Quarter (Oct 29)Dollar Bill (Oct 29)Dollar Bill (Oct 29)Dime (Nov 01)Penny (Nov 04)Penny (Nov 08)Dime (Nov 10)Dime (Nov 12)Penny (Nov 15)Penny (Nov 17)Penny (Nov 17)Dime (Nov 23)Nickel (Nov 24)Penny (Nov 30)Quarter (Dec 10)Penny (Dec 11)Penny (Dec 11)Penny (Dec 12)Penny (Dec 13)Penny (Dec 13)Penny (Dec 13)Penny (Dec 13)Penny (Dec 13)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Penny (Dec 14)Quarter (Dec 17)Penny (Dec 24)Penny (Dec 24)Dime (Dec 26)Dime (Dec 28)Penny (Dec 31)MomPenny (Jan 04)Penny (Jul 27)Penny (Jan 08)Penny (Jan 16)Penny (Jan 24)Penny (Jan 24)Penny (Jan 25)Penny (Jan 25)Penny (Jan 25)Penny (Jan 25)Quarter (Jan 25)Dime (Jan 29)Penny (Jan 29)Penny (Jan 30)Dime (Jan 25)Quarter (Feb 03)Penny (Feb 16)Penny (Feb 27)Penny (Feb 28)Nickel (Feb 29)Penny (Mar 03)Penny (Mar 04)Penny (Mar 07)Penny (Mar 07)Penny (Mar 12)Penny (Mar 12)Dime (Mar 14)Dime (Mar 19)Penny (Mar 20)Penny (Mar 21)Penny (Mar 21)Penny (Mar 22)Dime (Mar 23)Dime (Mar 22)Penny (Mar 27)Penny (Mar 28)Dime (Apr 02)Penny (Apr 07)Penny (Apr 18)Penny (Apr 19)Penny (Apr 19)Penny (Apr 21)Dime (Apr 21)Penny (Apr 24)Dime (Apr 29)Penny (Apr 30)Penny (May 03)Penny (May 04)Penny (May 08)Penny (May 14)Penny (May 14)Penny (May 16)Penny (May 17)Penny (May 22)Nickel (May 22)Penny (May 23)Penny (May 28)Penny (Jun 07)Penny (Jun 17)2 Franc (Jun 20)Penny (Jul 14)Penny (Jul 16)Penny (Jul 16)Nickel (Jul 16)Dime (Jul 26)Penny (Jul 27)Dime (Jul 29)Penny (Jul 29)Dime (Aug 01)Nickel (Aug 02)Quarter (Aug 14)Penny (Aug 16)Penny (Aug 23)Penny (Aug 30)Penny (Sep 03)Dime (Sep 06)Quarter (Sep 06)Penny (Sep 10)Nickel (Sep 15)Penny (Sep 24)Quarter (Oct 07)Penny (Oct 08)50 Centavo (Oct 15)Penny (Oct 15)Dime (Oct 17)Dime (Oct 18)Quarter (Oct 22)Penny (Oct 22)Penny (Oct 29)Dime (Oct 29)Penny (Oct 29)Penny (Oct 29)Dime (Oct 29)Nickel (Oct 29)Dime (Oct 29)Dime (Oct 29)Quarter (Oct 31)Penny (Oct 31)Dime (Oct 31)Penny (Nov 06)Dime (Nov 12)Penny (Nov 17)Penny (Nov 17)Penny (Nov 19)Penny (Nov 19)Penny (Nov 19)Penny (Nov 19)Penny (Nov 19)Penny (Nov 26)Penny (Nov 26)Penny (Nov 26)Penny (Nov 27)Penny (Dec 03)Penny (Dec 03)Dime (Dec 04)Penny (Dec 18)Penny (Dec 29)Penny (Dec 31)Penny (Dec 31)DadPenny (Jan 09)Dime (Jan 17)Nickel (Feb 02)Penny (Feb 05)Penny (Mar 22)Penny (Apr 05)Penny (Apr 09)Penny (Apr 23)Penny (May 10)Penny (May 10)Penny (Jun 08)Penny (Jun 19)Nickel (Jun 30)Nickel (Aug 04)Penny (Aug 06)Penny (Aug 14)Penny (Aug 31)Dime (Oct 30)Penny (Dec 20)Penny (Dec 26)NoahPenny (Jan 24)Penny (Feb 13)Penny (Oct 04)Penny (Nov 14)

USD

  • PennyPenny
  • NickelNickel
  • DimeDime
  • QuarterQuarter
  • Dollar BillDollar Bill

MXP

  • 2 Centavo2 Centavo
  • 50 Centavo50 Centavo

CHF

  • 2 Franc2 Franc

JPY

  • 5 Yen5 Yen

SGD

  • 5 Singapore Cent5 Singapore Cent

Streaks

A streak is two or more consecutive days of finds.

PersonNumber of streaksLongest streak
● Zach65 days
● Mom24 days

By Weekday

Number of pickups by weekday

ZachMomDadNoah

By Type

PersonPennyNickelDimeQuarterDollar Bill2 Centavo50 Centavo5 Yen5 Singapore Cent2 Franc
● Zach17172372111
● Mom82622711
● Dad1532
● Noah4

Methodology

We take pictures of coins or bills we find on the ground (either in situ or once they've been picked up). For family members, we have a group text chat where we sent pictures and notes. Friends send me their pictures and notes individually. Almost all change is fair game, but we don't allow fishing in fountains (deliberately left change).

Each year, I manually scroll through our message history and log the results in a spreadsheet. I lightly process and turn that spreadsheet into a CSV used to power these visualizations. Most of the time we note what coins we find (such as "a scuffed penny" or "a dime and a nickel") but sometimes we forget, so I have to take a guess (a blurry dime and nickel with no reference are hard to tell apart).

Feel free to check out the source on GitHub!