pressed pennies/quarters

[jenn_loves_disney]

how does this this work for Canadians? Can we used canadian pennies and quarters? Or do I have to use American coins?

 

[disney funseeker]

Welcome to the Dis!

We used shiny American coins and the pennies were before a certain year.

I can't remember exactly why but that's what was recommended on the Dis so of course I followed the recommendations.

If you do a search on pressed pennies there should be lots of threads to look through that will be able to help you.

 

[ChisJo]

Use american pennies made before 1982. They are made of a different alloy material (copper? I think?) and they press better. You can make them shiny if you soak them and shine them in a vinegar and salt water solution. Works great, but make sure you clean them right after you take them out of the solution, or they will turn green! (I learned my lesson)
Anyways, I used shiny pennies from after 1982, and they worked okay too. You can use Canadian currency, it works, but it is illegal to deface our own currency. Trust me though, you will probably
get enough pennies down there not to have to worry about it.
Hope that helped...
Jo

 

[ontariodisneywoman]

ChrisJo just thought I would share some info with you. The best way to clean the pennies is with "Ketchup". Just soak them for a few moments. It works great.

My DS loves those pressed pennies.

 

[Limmer]

I have to report a funny story about pressed coins. When we were waiting for the bus to Port Canaveral, we were sitting in the lobby of POR. We started to talk to this nice older gentleman who had been abandoned thee while his wife was shopping . We chatted about where we were from etc until I said to my husband that I was going to check to make sure I had all the patterns that they had at POR machines. Well, I wish I had never mentioned pressed coins! This man got so mad and I had to sit through a lecture on defacing legal tender and what was wrong with today's youth! Thankfully the bus came within a few minutes. We laughed about it on the bus but I am pretty sure I wrecked the rest of that poor man's day!

 

[jenn_loves_disney]

The way I look at it, pressing pennies can't be THAT bad, otherwise they wouldn't be strewn all over WDW. The proper authorities obviously know about them, and if it was such an issue, they would have put a stop to it looooong ago. I don't understand why anyone would have an issue with it. I happen to love the idea and can barely wait for the nest 13 months to go by so I can start my own collection!

 

[jenn_loves_disney]

Thanks! I have already gone through $20 in pennies, picking out everything pre-1981 (I know it's '82, but some are different for that year) and about 90% of them are canadian. I want to get them all shined and rolled up for mine and my sisters WDW gift baskets I'm making. Do I have to use american pennies, or will the ones I have work. The machines take 2 quarters, and one penny. Can the quarters be canadian or do they have to be american, as I'd love to put a roll or 2 of them in the baskets as well, but I don't want to put in Canadian quarters if they only take American ones. Help!!??

 

[ChisJo]

The quarters have to be american. If you place an american and canadian quarter against each other, you will see that they are different sizes, and the machines can detect this.
Jo

PS - I was able to buy a role of american quarters from the bank for my last trip.

 

[pjpoohbear]

I know that ketchup is one of the ways to clean, and it might work well, but I never have time for that.


Here is what i do and it takes just a couple of minutes.

Take a small bowl of vingar(sp?) and place it in the microwave for 1:30 on high, then add a generous amount of salt, stir and drop in the pennies. They will begin to sparkle very quickly. I leave them in this solution for just a couple of minutes and then buff them dry. To get them extra shiny, a take a white rubber eraser and rub both sides, they look like new.

I have been able to bring back pennies as old as 1964. I have a couple from 1960, they are clean but they just do not sparkle not matter what i do to them.

Penny