The Lucky Penny Ring

I pick up change I see when I'm out, walking about. I call it "change road rescue." And this might seem, well, eccentric, um, to be kind. But I started doing it because my standard response when anyone asked about health insurance or my lack thereof, I'd say, "when I win the lottery.... " Or if asked about my retirement plans I'd say, " when I win the lottery." The trouble is, I don't believe in the lottery (as I have explained before, here, and here.) *Its a poor tax, not a stupid tax.... though the poor may be desperate enough to act stupid. Essentially, its a tax on dreams.*

So. To get around my reluctance to support a poor tax, I decided to pool the change I find while walking. Every 2-3 weeks, I accumulate enough for a powerball ticket. Two of my best finds are a 1896 penny (worth one dollar), and a 1918 dime (worth 5 bucks. Though it is a bit nicked. I found it in the street.)



Not all of the change I find is recyclable. Some of the pennies are torn apart, and some are just pulverized a bit too much. I keep these pennies, and have ended up with a rather gnarly stash of orphan pennies. Hence, the Lucky Penny Ring. Here is one design of the Lucky Penny Ring, and tomorrow I'm going to start working on another design. It is carved out of green wax and will be cast into silver. In one picture I have a diamond I dropped in just for fun. I will be setting a 5 mm stone there, but not a diamond! All pennies will be seeking their new life, with luck.