Tip Tuesday: Pressed Pennies (part 2)

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday! Yeah, I know it's Wednesday - ever had one of those days where you were behind from the first moment? Sigh.

Anyway, to business. In the last Tip Tuesday post, I told you about pressed pennies all across Walt Disney World and where you could find a list. I had a question for you -- would any old penny work? The answer is both yes and no. Sure you could use a shiny new 2008 penny and it would look good, but the best pennies are those made before 1982. Why? Well according to PennyCollector.com, pennies dated 1982 and newer create silver streaks when they are pressed. This is because newer pennies are mostly made of zinc with only a copper coating. Older pennies (pre 1982) are made mostly of copper with a little bit of zinc. Also newer pennies apparently don't polish as well.

I tried this myself and they're right.

OK, so there's a catch. A lot of times old pennies LOOK like old pennies - they're tarnished and dirty. What's the best way to clean them and get them into shiny shape before they're pressed?

The folks at PennyCollector have listed several cleaning methods. Personally, I use the vinegar/salt and baking soda method. It's a bit messy -- alright, it's very messy and the vinegar stinks, but those pennies come out really shiny!!

As for finding old pennies - isn't that what piggy banks are all about? We all have jars of coins around the house - start going through them and look for those pre-1982 coins. You'll be surprised how many you'll find. If you're going to get into collecting pressed pennies, it's a good idea to check your pennies you get as change a few times a week as you're emptying your pockets. I keep my "pressable" pennies in a baggie in a drawer - that way I know they're not for regular use. It saves time later on.

One other tip I found from the folks at PennyCollector.com, if you want to use a special year (i.e. birth year) and have that year remain on the pressed penny, place the "heads" side of the penny away from the quarters when you put them in the slots.

Have fun with your collection and check back for next week's Tip Tuesday!

Good luck and happy pressing!

Tip Tuesday: Pressed Pennies

What's flat, oval-shaped, stamped with Disney artwork and makes a wonderful and unique Disney collectible? A pressed coin! All across Walt Disney World (and Disneyland) there are hundreds and hundreds of penny press machines where guests can insert a coin and two quarters and get a unique Disney design pressed into the penny (the quarters are just for payment). They're in the parks, the resorts, the restaurants, the stores - just about anywhere on Disney property.


Here's a great example of a pressed penny, thanks to Presscoins.com.

Each penny press usually has three designs to choose from. These are great items for kids to collect - they only cost 51-cents a piece (unless the price goes up) and you can only get them at a Disney location (parks, resorts or World of Disney). Nearly every machine has a unique design, so you aren't likely to come across the same one in two different locations.

These are fun to collect and make a very good souvenir. Everytime I talk to someone who's going to WDW for the first time, I suggest they bring pennies and quarters to have on hand for the penny presses. Like I said, my kids love collecting them and it's a great excuse to go visit other locations - especially the resorts.

I can hear you saying it now: "If there are hundreds, where in the (Walt Disney) World do you find them all?" I'm glad you asked (or kept reading).

Presscoins.com has a great checklist of penny presses that they keep updating from time-to-time. Some designs have been retired to make way for new ones. If you really going to get into collecting penny presses, I highly suggest printing this list to help you keep track of which pennies you already have and which ones you want to get. Oh, and don't think you're going to get to all of them in one trip - just can't happen. There are WAAAAY too many of them.

Parents, take a tip from the DisneyDaddy - this is a great way to keep your kids engaged while at Disney and a fun way to make some memories.

Now I can hear you asking another question: "Will any old penny do?" For the answer to that, check back for next week's Tip Tuesday (and get ready to get your hands messy)!!