A Habit That Makes Cents

Some may think a penny has no value, but three-quarters of Americans say they would stop to pick one up off the street, according to a recent National Currency Poll.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults was commissioned by Coinstar, which operates a network of self-service coin-counting machines in supermarkets around the country. It revealed that Americans’ coin-keeping habits are quite idiosyncratic.

One factor is age. When asked about finding a penny on the sidewalk, 90% of respondents over age 65 said they would pick it up. Only 67% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 would go to the trouble.

Superstition and ego play a part in coin habits, too, according to the study. Roughly 12% of people said they would not pick up a coin because it was heads down (considered by some to be unlucky).

In the Northeast, 7% of respondents said they would not pick up any coin on the street because they would be embarrassed; 5% in the West said they would not pick up coins on the street because they were lazy. Other reasons included “it was dirty” and “someone else needs it.”

Coinstar’s Web site is https://www.coinstar.com.