The California family’s fortune of 1 million copper pennies has finally changed hands over a week after captivating the whole country’s attention.
John and Elizabeth Reyes say they have sold the large number of precious metal pennies they found in the house that had belonged to Elizabeth’s father.
According to John Reyes, he received an overwhelming number of questions and could not get back to everyone who expressed interest, but he did say that his family is pleased with the buyer.
The capacity and willingness to look beyond the face value of the coins was a crucial requirement.
The pair hoped that a collector or investor would purchase a lottery ticket in the form of thousands of pennies, despite the fact that the coins were worth approximately $10,000.
He wouldn’t say how much the pennies sold since confidentiality agreements were essential to the deal, but he did say that his family was “more than satisfied” with the amount.
Elizabeth Reyes’s father, only known as Fritz, resided with his brother for decades in the old Pico-Union mansion where the pennies were discovered.
The Reyes family, Elizabeth Reyes’ sister, her cousin, and their husbands, have been clearing out the 1900s-era home since Fritz died and his brother moved out in preparation for renovations.
The family was cleaning out a crawlspace when they came upon boxes, crates, and bags full of copper coins that Fritz had stashed away before the United States switched to zinc pennies.
John Reyes explained that Fritz and his brother were first-generation German immigrants who had witnessed the effects of rationing first-hand. Fritz started saving copper pennies expecting their worth to increase over time.
It’s sad to see this chapter of their lives close, but they’ve earned some closure. The coins served as a tangible representation of Fritz’s unique personality and deep affection for his family. His kids and their partners share that sentiment.
That link won’t be completely severed. He said that the family had saved some of the coins as souvenirs, so they would constantly be reminded of the narrative’s impact on their life.
