Fake ‘Lucky Pennies’ Dropped in 10 Cities, Worth $1,000 Each

DETROIT, MI — Residents of 10 U.S. cities could stumble on a fake penny that’s not as worthless as may be suggested by the image on the head — it’s Detroit-based Ally Bank’s logo instead of Abraham Lincoln’s bust — but whatever you do, don’t mutter profanities under your breath and walk on. The 100 pennies scattered across the United States are 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 the digital bank’s home turf in Detroit, but also in Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Los Angeles; Miami; New York City; San Diego 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 be entered at AllyLuckyPenny.com to begin the verification process. Coins can be redeemed through Dec. 31.

Throughout the campaign, which launched this week, 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:

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