Buyer Found for Million-Penny Collection

LOS ANGELES – Ron England isn’t one to cash in spare change collected in ashtrays and candy dishes. Cashing in 1 million pennies is more his style.

After searching for almost a month, England, 60, of Granada Hills, found a company that will convert his copper into cash at no extra charge.

Safeway Inc., owner of Vons and Pavilions supermarkets, will take the 20,000 rolls of pennies from England July 15 and deposit the change into CoinMaster machines. Safeway will then donate half of the $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

England, a projectionist for Paramount Studios, wanted to cash in his pennies before retiring with his wife to a home in Oregon. But his bank, Washington Mutual, could take only 200 rolls a week and would charge him extra fees.

England’s problem attracted attention from financial institutions nationwide, as well as churches, Indian reservations and charities requesting donations.

England bet his brother 30 years ago that he could save a million pennies. If he was successful, England’s brother, Russ, would owe him a dinner of fried sweetbreads in Paris. About five years after the bet, he had 1 million pennies, which fill 13 boxes in his garage.

England never got his dinner in Paris, however.

His brother, Russ England, 55, said he doesn’t remember making the bet.

“Am I still good for it? I’m not going to answer that question,” Russ England said.

Now Ron England hopes to buy a John Deere tractor with his money.

“I did enjoy proving my brother wrong,” England said. “If he’d pay off, I’d quit bitching. I should have saved dimes. I’d have a lot more money, and it would weigh a lot less.”

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Information from: Daily News, http://www.dailynews.com

(SUBS graf 4 to correct name of machines. Picks up pvs 5th grf: ‘England, a’)