Look Down Woodland Hills: Fake Pennies Dropped in LA Worth $1,000 Each

LOS ANGELES, CA — Hey Los Angeles, look down. That penny lying in the street could be worth a lot more than you think. Scattered across the city of Los Angeles are a handful of fake pennies worth $1,000 a piece.

Los Angeles is one of 10 U.S. cities where residents could stumble on the fake pennies. Look for the image on the head — it’s Detroit-based Ally Bank’s logo instead of Abraham Lincoln’s bust. All told, there are 100 pennies scattered across the United States worth $1,000 each.

If you bend over to pick it up, that's about 100,000 pennies (real ones) for the thought that provoked the action.

The coins were dropped not only around Los Angeles and the digital bank’s home turf in Detroit, but also in Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; New York City; San Diego, California, and Washington, D.C.

The faux pennies are part of a bank campaign that emphasizes the importance of valuing every cent and looking for opportunities to save money, according to the bank’s website. On the “tail” of each Ally Lucky Penny is a redemption code that can b entered at AllyLuckyPenny.com to begin the verification process. Coins can be redeemed through Dec. 31.

Throughout the campaign, the bank will post clues about Lucky Penny locations, as well as updates on those already found, on social media with the hashtag #AllyLuckyPenny.

Here’s one such clue:

We’re bankers, not fighters. This Detroiter used his fists for a living. #AllyLuckyPenny Rules: https://t.co/14UBh7Dkdy pic.twitter.com/RwRCGR0L7G
— Ally (@Ally) October 18, 2016
The pennies are copper-colored, but larger than real pennies. The number 100,000 on the back represents the value of the coin in cents.

Image via Ally Bank