Wheat Pennies

     At my work, we have an inordinate amount of wheat pennies. Every time I close and I'm counting the drawer, there are tons of them. How they all ended up in one place, I have no idea, but my father has always collected them and taught me an appreciation for them from a young age. I see a wheat penny and I think of my dad as a child.

     Now when I close, I bring along some dimes, nickels and quarters, and I buy the wheat pennies. The other day I walked away with about 20. I got home and stared at them, holding them up to the light to see what years they were from. Who held this penny? How far has it traveled? Among quite a few 1950's wheat pennies, I also discovered a 1912 penny, a 1913 penny, some from 1920, 1926, 1934. The history of the penny, the things that were happening in the world at the time, the children buying gumballs, my father--all of these things collide and assemble themselves into small coins in my hand.