Pocket Change: The 8-Foot Penny Made of 84,000 Coins

Everyone has a stash of pennies somewhere: a jar on the dresser, a piggy bank on the shelf, the cupholder abyss of the car. Wander Martich of Grand Rapids, Michigan, looked at all that spare change and saw something bigger... much bigger.

The idea sparked when her young daughters offered to help pay for things with the change in their piggy bank. That sweet gesture got Wander thinking about the humble one-cent coin, and what tens of thousands of them could become.

Giant Penny

The answer? One giant penny. Working 10 hours a day for three months, Wander transformed 84,000 ordinary pennies into a single copper creation measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) wide. That's a whole lot of Lincolns.

It's proof that with enough patience and enough pennies, pocket change really can add up to something unbelievable.

Get Your Copy

Wander's supersized cent is just a taste of the strange-but-true stories packed into Ripley's Believe It or Not! Wired Into Weird , the all-new annual, arriving Fall 2026. Astonishing feats, curious creations, and facts you have to see to believe, all in one book.

Pre-Order  Wired Into Weird  to get:

• A free ticket to a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Attraction

• A personal shout-out in the next Ripley’s Annual book (on sale Fall 2027)

• A downloadable  Wired Into Weird  activity pack

Already pre-ordered? Even better! Just complete the claim form and upload your receipt to lock in your prizes.

Pre-order prize claims close September 7, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. ET. “Wired Into Weird” hits shelves Fall 2026.

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