Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Today I found 23 cents . . . 2 dimes & 3 pennies. One of the pennies was a very scuffed 1955 Wheat Penny.

First and foremost, Happy Birthday to loyal Race of the Century Reader Lindsay. Unlike the 1955 Wheat Penny you are not scuffed nor are you 52 years old.

All of my change was found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex. It was raining again this afternoon when I got my change, so I was happy to get what I could.

Interestingly, the 1955 penny was not the oldest piece of money that I got today. When I went into my bank they gave two 1953 $2 bills. My bank knows that I like the older money and they often set it aside for me when they find it. The old $2 bills are unique for several reasons. First, the Treasury Seal and the Serial Number are in red, not green. Also, the design on the back of the bill is different than the current design. This picture will illustrate both:


__________________________________

January Monthly Report:

This month I found 302 pennies, 25 nickels, 40 dimes, and 29 quarters. I also found one $1 coin.

Monthly Total: $16.52
Change Cycle Days: 7
Dollar Days: 5
Monthly High: $1.91 (January 12th)
Monthly Low: 1 cent (Multiple times)
Daily Average: 53.29 ish cents

Totals for the day: 23 cents
Race Totals: $488.06

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Today I found 22 cents . . . 1 dime & 12 pennies.

This morning I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash on the way to work and found 11 cents scattered about. There was a light rain, really more of a mist. It didn’t interfere with the change hunting, but I was happy to get back in my car.

In the evening I stopped at the convenience store across the street for a drink and found one penny by the front door. The final dime of the day came in the coin return slot of a stamp machine at the post office.

Totals for the day: 22 cents
Race Totals: $487.83

Monday, January 29, 2007

Today I found $1.55 . . . 3 nickels, 3 dimes, 4 quarters, and 10 pennies (The Grand Change Cycle).

All change came to me in the 11th hour at the always reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash. The quarters were sitting on a ledge in a car wash station and the remaining change was scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: $1.55
Race Totals: $487.61

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Today I found 41 cents . . . 3 nickels, 2 dimes, and 6 pennies. I also found a British penny, which sadly will not count toward the daily totals.

While grocery shopping at HEB this afternoon I found a penny on the ground by a self-checkout line. I wasn’t checking out yet, but I helped myself to the penny. I had to make a quick stop at Randalls, another local grocery store, and I’m glad I did. There I found 18 cents (one dime, one nickel, and three pennies) in the coin reject slot of a coin counting machine.

After a quick trip to the post office I took a detour and stopped at the car wash next to the post office. It was very busy and I didn’t get to look around much, but I did find 12 cents (two nickels & two pennies) scattered about on the ground. On the way home I stopped at CVS to get some tape and I found 10 cents (one dime) on the ground by the checkout.

It was at Randalls where I found the British penny. Like the rest of the Randalls change it was in the coin return slot of the aforementioned change counting machine. Right now, as I can personally attest to after my Thanksgiving vacation to Europe, the Brits are kicking our butt on the exchange rate. The penny is valued at approximately two US cents. The penny, of course, does not count toward my daily totals. However, it has already been deposited into my “Not Change Cup,” keeper of non-US change finds deemed worthy of being picked up.

Totals for the day: 41 cents
Race Totals: $486.06

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Today I found 4 cents . . . all pennies.

This morning I found a penny in the parking lot of my local bank. I found the second penny in the coin return slot of a change counting machine at Kroger, a local grocery store. Pennies three and four were found at a no-name car wash near the grocery store.

Totals for the day: 4 cents
Race Totals: $485.65

Friday, January 26, 2007

Today I found 62 cents . . . 2 quarters & 12 pennies.

This evening I attended the Houston Baseball Writers Association awards dinner and found a penny on the floor by the front table. I’m happy to report that I was able to get several autographs, including this picture signed by Jeff Bagwell:


On the way home from the dinner I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 61 cents (two quarters & 11 pennies). The quarters were sitting by a vacuum cleaner and the pennies were scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: 62 cents
Race Totals: $485.61

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Today I found 71 cent . . . 4 dimes, 1 quarter, and 6 pennies.

I had the opportunity to drive on the Sam Houston Parkway (also know as Beltway 8) this afternoon. It is a toll road and I had to pay three tolls on my trip. Lucky for me I had ample change and was able to drive up to the exact change baskets and deposit my money. Also lucky for me a lot of other people had bad aim and there was change scattered about on the ground at each basket. As traffic was not that heavy I was able to open my door and retrieve coins that I spotted. All my change for the day came at the base of these three baskets.

Totals for the day: 71 cent
Race Totals: $484.99

Tuesday, January 24, 2007

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

I found my one and only penny in the parking lot of my office building. For what seems to be the 30th day in a row it has been cold and rainy. I’m getting tired of it.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $484.28

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Today I found 16 cents . . . 1 dime & 6 pennies.

My first find of the day was a dime that I picked up off the ground at a Shell gas station near my office. I stopped there on the way back from lunch to pick up a drink. On the way back from the George Bush Library in College Station, TX (more on that in a second) I stopped at Sonic for some dinner and found a penny in the parking lot. The final stop of the evening was at a no-name car wash near my apartment complex. There I found five cents (all pennies).

So, several weeks ago I read that James A. Baker III was going to be speaking at the George Bush Library this evening. Baker, a former Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury (and author of the Iraq Report) seemed like someone whom would be interesting to listen to. As such I decided to attend the event and listen to his speech. After the speech I approached him and asked him to sign this:


Since Baker was a former Secretary of the Treasury his facsimile signature appeared on all US currency (to include the Series 1985-dollar bill which I presented him with). Mr. Baker was kind enough to sign the bill directly above his facsimile signature.

Totals for the day: 16 cents
Race Totals: $484.27

Monday, January 22, 2007

Today I found 92 cents . . . 3 nickels, 3 dimes, 1 quarter, and 22 pennies (The Super Change Cycle).

At JR’s Car Wash I found 10 cents (all pennies). The rest of the change was found at the car wash next to the post office. The vast majority of that change was found in a car wash bay where it was clear that someone had washed out the back of their pickup truck and the change had fallen onto the ground.

Totals for the day: 92 cents
Race Totals: $484.11

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was found on the ground in the parking lot of a gas station. I was there to get some tacos from a taco cart that has been at this location for a very long time. The tacos were great, as was the penny.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $483.19

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Today I found 5 cents . . . all pennies.

I found the first penny on the ground outside the shop where I got my hair cut this morning. The second penny was on the ground at the public library. Pennies three through five were found on the ground at a gas station, where I stopped to get an afternoon snack.

Totals for the day: 5 cents
Race Totals: $483.18

Friday, January 19, 2007

Today I found 49 cents . . . 2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 4 pennies. One of the dimes was a 1951 silver dime.

The first two pennies of the day were found in a mud puddle that was in the parking lot of a business where I had an AM appointment. The remaining change, 47 cents (two dimes, one quarter, and two pennies) was found in the coin return slot of a change counting machine. Said change counting machine was in Randalls, a local grocery store. I was in Randalls to look for a bank, which I did not find.

As mentioned earlier one of the dimes in the coin return slot of the change counting machine was a 1951 dime. I set those, along with wheat pennies and other older coins, aside. While most of the day’s change will be deposited into my change jug the dime will make its way to my old change bag.

Totals for the day: 49 cents
Race Totals: $483.13

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Today I found 23 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime & 8 pennies.

I got the fist two pennies of the day at a McDonalds. Both were on the ground by the front counter. The remaining change was picked up at a Citgo gas station, where I filled my car this evening.

Totals for the day: 23 cents
Race Totals: $482.64

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Today I found 14 cents . . .1 dime & 4 pennies.

Thanks to the frozen roads I didn’t have to work today, but I did have to eat so I stopped by Randalls, a local grocery store, and found two cents under a change counting machine. I also joined my friend Tara for lunch at Sonic and found another two cents in the parking lot. I picked up the dime by the counter when I was at a local branch of Sterling Bank.

Totals for the day: 14 cents
Race Totals: $482.41

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Today I found 18 cents . . .2 nickels & 8 pennies.

On my way home from work I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found two cents. I was happy to find them since there has been rain and light sleet in the area for the past few days. I also walked over to Sonic and found 11 cents (one nickel & six pennies). Most of the change was on the patio, but a few stray pennies were in the parking lot. In the evening I found a nickel in the coin return slot of a stamp machine at the post office.

Totals for the day: 18 cents
Race Totals: $482.27

Monday, January 15, 2007

Today I found 47 cents . . .2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 2 pennies.

Sunday evening I heard nothing but terrible weather reports for Monday . . . alleged freezing rain and freezing temperatures, certainly things that you don’t think of when envisioning Houston. Anyhow, I’m much too cowardly to brave such conditions so I set out slightly after midnight Sunday evening (Monday morning in actuality) to see if I could find some change for the day. My first and only stop was JR’s Car Wash, where I found all my change. The two dimes were sitting on a ledge in a car wash station. The quarter was also on the ledge of an adjacent car wash station. The two pennies were on the ground by vacuum cleaners, one in the front of the car wash, one in the back.

Totals for the day: 47 cents
Race Totals: $482.09

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Today I found 11 cents. . .all pennies.

It rained the entire day and I really didn’t feel like getting out much. However, in the afternoon I had to go to the post office and there I found four cents. Three cents were in the coin return slot of a stamp machine and one penny was on the ground nearby.

Just for kicks I checked the car wash next to the post office and I was happy to find an additional three cents. When I got home I took some trash out to the dumpster and I found another two pennies. One was on the ground in the parking lot and one was on a sidewalk.

My final two pennies came in the evening at a Mexican restaurant where I met my friend Tara for dinner. The first was in the parking lot and the second was on the ground outside the front door.

Totals for the day: 11 cents
Race Totals: $481.62

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Today I found $1.57 . . . 2 nickels, 3 dime, 4 quarters, and 17 pennies (The Incomparable Change Cycle).

From a weather standpoint the day started off great and then got a lot worse. Lucky for me people still had time to wash their cars before the rain decided to fall. I put off change searching until later in the evening and decided that I would go check JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment. There I found $1 (two nickels, three dimes, two quarters, and 10 pennies). 75 cents of the dollar was sitting on the ledge of a vacuum cleaner. The rest was scattered about on the ground.

While I was out I picked up some dinner at KFC and found two cents on the ground by the drive-thru. On the way home I checked a no-name car wash and found an additional 55 cents (two quarters & five pennies). As was the case with the first car wash the majority of the change (in this case 50 cents) was sitting by a vacuum cleaner.

Totals for the day: $1.57
Race Totals: $481.51

Friday, January 12, 2007

Today I found $1.91 . . . 2 nickels, 1 dime, 2 quarters, 1 Sacagawea $1 coin, and 21 pennies (The Ultimate Change Cycle).

At Brewster's Ice Cream I found one cent in the drive-thru lane. At the car wash next to the post office I found the remaining change. It was an amazing amount of change to find in one place. Every step I took it seemed like there was another coin on the ground, and soon there after in my pocket.

Totals for the day: $1.91
Race Totals: $479.94

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Today I found $1.33 . . . 2 dimes, 4 quarters, and 13 pennies.

In the evening I was at Kroger, a local grocery store, and found six cents (all pennies) in the change return slot of a coin counting machine. I also stopped by a no-name car wash and found 14 cents (one dime & four pennies) and the always-reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash where I found $1.13 (one dime, four quarters, and three pennies). Three of the four Al Gator’s quarters, including a bicentennial model, were sitting on a ledge in a car wash station.

Totals for the day: $1.33
Race Totals: $478.03

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Today I found 38 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 quarter, and 8 pennies.

Filling up with gas this afternoon I found a penny by the gas pump. In the evening I stopped at Sonic for dinner and found 10 cents (one nickel & five pennies). All the change was on the front patio. I found the remaining 27 cents (one quarter & two pennies) at the Kwick Kar Wash, which is next to the Sonic.

Totals for the day: 38 cents
Race Totals: $476.70

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Today I found 3 cents . . . all pennies.

All change was found at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment complex.

Totals for the day: 3 cents
Race Totals: $476.32

Monday, January 8, 2007

Today I found 82 cents . . . 3 nickels, 2 dimes, 1 quarter, and 22 pennies (The Championship Change Cycle).

Driving back from an appointment this afternoon I stopped in at Fiesta, a local grocery store, to purchase an 18-pound bag of oranges, which was on sale for $4.95. Checking out I found four cents (all pennies) on the ground by the cash register. After groceries I stopped for lunch and found a penny while leaving the restaurant.

In the evening I found one cent in the parking lot as I left my office. Even later in the evening I went to the post office to mail a post card and I found 17 cents (three nickels & two pennies) in the change return slot of a stamp machine. Returning home I stopped at the car wash next to the post office and found 59 cents (two dimes, one quarter, and 14 pennies). All the change was scattered about on the ground.

Totals for the day: 82 cents
Race Totals: $476.29

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Today I found $1.27 . . . 1 nickel, 2 dimes, 3 quarters, and 27 pennies (The JR’s Change Cycle).

I have a confession to make. Several weeks ago I noticed that the car wash next to my apartment had changed names. It had been JR’s Car Wash and now it has been changed to D.I.Y Car Wash (the D.I.Y apparently stands for Do It Yourself). Anyhow, I meant to mention this earlier, but somehow I kept forgetting. As it stands I think I’m just going to keep referring to it as JR’s Car Wash because I like the ring of that better, but for those of you who are continuous readers you will know the truth.

Anyhow, this evening I decided to head out to Bailey’s old neighborhood to see if his JR’s Car Wash had changed names as well. It had, and is now also a D.I.Y Car Wash. There I found 22 cents (one dime & 12 pennies). On the way back I stopped at Sonic for dinner and found 10 cents (all pennies) on the patio and in the parking lot area. The last stop of the evening was my JR’s Car Wash where I found 95 cents (one nickel, one dime, three quarters, and five pennies). I generally find quarters in car wash stations at car washes, but these three quarters happened to be stacked on the ledge of a vacuum cleaner.

Totals for the day: $1.27
Race Totals: $475.47

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Today I found 94 cents . . . 5 dimes, 1 quarter, and 19 pennies.

This evening I stopped at JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment, after using the ATM at the bank across the street. At JR’s I found 37 cents (three dimes & seven pennies) scattered about on the ground.

I also went by the post office to mail a check to pay my credit card bill and I found 26 cents (one penny & one quarter). The penny was on the floor by the front door and the quarter was in the change return slot of a stamp machine.

On the way home I stopped at KFC for some dinner and found six cents (all pennies) in the drive-thru lane, where I waited a good long time for my boneless BBQ wings. The final stop on the way home was the always-reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash, where I found 25 cents (two dimes & five pennies).

Totals for the day: 94 cents
Race Totals: $474.20

Friday, January 5, 2007

Today I found 1 cent . . . a penny.

It was picked up at a gas station this afternoon. Some co-workers and I stopped there on the way back from lunch because on of them needed to use an ATM machine. The penny was sitting on a ledge by a quarter game machine.

Totals for the day: 1 cent
Race Totals: $473.26

Thursday, January 4, 2007

Today I found 52 cents . . . 2 nickel, 1 dime, 1 quarter, and 7 pennies (the Breathtaking Change Cycle).

It rained most of the day and I was fairly busy so I just had the chance to stop by JR’s Car Wash, the car wash next to my apartment, on the way home. There I found one penny. It lay in the bay of a car wash station.

In the evening I wasn’t feeling good about my lack of change so I went out and hit the always-reliable Al Gator’s Car Wash. There I found 51 cents (two nickels, one dime, one quarter, and six pennies). All the change, less one penny, was sitting in a muddy pile by a vacuum cleaner.

Totals for the day: 52 cents
Race Totals: $473.25

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Today I found 30 cents . . . 1 nickel, 1 dime, and 15 pennies.

In the evening I stopped in at the Kwick Kar Wash and found seven cents (all pennies). I also stopped at Sonic for dinner and found 23 cents (one nickel, one dime, and eight pennies). The majority of the Sonic change, save two cents, was on the patio of the restaurant.

Totals for the day: 30 cents
Race Totals: $472.73

Tuesday, January 2, 2006

Today I found 77 cents . . . 1 dime, 2 quarters, and 17 pennies.

I had to wake up early this morning to take my friend Becca to the airport. One the way home I stopped at the Kwick Kar Wash and found 33 cents (one quarter & eight pennies) and at JR’s Car Wash where I found 30 cents (one quarter & five pennies). Later in the day I stopped at a no-name car wash and found an additional 14 cents (one dime & four pennies).


Year End Report (2006)

This year I found $245.11. Broken down that’s:

3,841 pennies
204 nickels
405 dimes
304 quarters
$80 in paper money / dollar coins

Change was found in 12 states (Texas, Maryland, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, Virginia, Delaware, and Massachusetts) and six foreign countries (Czech Republic, Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, and Hungary).

Checking my daily totals for the year the most common find was one cent (17 times) followed by 17 cents (12 times). I also had double digit finds of two, 14, and 18 cents (10 times each). Change was found in 80 of 99 possible increments between one cent and 99 cents.

Of course there were some days when I found more than $1 (that happened 40 times). Between $2.00-2.99 was found on four different days, between $3.00-3.99 was found on two different days, between $4.00-4.99 was found one day, between $5.00-5.99 was found one day, and over $66 was found one day.

As for the change I had my highest penny find (48 of them) on June 4th. The high for nickels was six (April 30th), dimes was 13 (January 29th), and quarters was nine (May 8th).

In terms of one-day finds my lowest was one-cent (multiple times) and the largest was $66.48 (thanks in part to three $20 bills being found).

The oldest coin that was found was a 1901 Morgan Silver Dollar, the newest coin was a 2006 penny (which I found multiple examples of).

Finally, on the baseball autograph front I am happy to report that for the 2006 baseball season I obtained 525 autographs on baseballs. Broken down that’s 79 balls with one signature each and a total of 19 team balls with a total of 446 autographs. The most generous team was the Philadelphia Phillies (34 signatures), the worst team was the San Francisco Giants (12 signatures).

Totals for the day: 77 cents
Race Totals: $472.43

Monday, January 1, 2007

Today I found 12 cents . . . 1 nickel and 7 pennies.

This afternoon I drove out to Tumbleweed, a nightclub, and checked the parking lot for New Years change. Not much was found and I walked away with six cents (all pennies). In the evening I was doing some laundry and found another six cents (one nickel & one penny) in the apartment complex laundry room.

Totals for the day: 12 cents
Race Totals: $471.66