How to Find Loose Change on the Ground

We people tend to drop things frequently. People often drop their cell phone, their keys, and sometimes even their money. You can oftentimes see coins on the ground, but usually it seems like only pennies land there. But you can find more than that, sometimes even notes.

People drop their loose change in two ways: accidentally or intentionally. Usually it's the former. So where can you find loose change on the ground or free to take? Let's find out now.

The thing to understand is that humans naturally lose stuff more frequently in the places where they move around a lot... so where is that? Well, the answer is in busy areas and in their vehicles.

If you walk down your street, or walk down any street in suburbia - let's say an average neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey - you will notice that coins wind up more frequently along the curbs, right on the edge of streets, or perhaps on sidewalks. As people come in and out of cars they drop stuff.

Coins often sneak out when people sit down or stand up. So behind benches, under bleachers, etc.

If you go to a hotel, you often find coins in the couches, under or behind the couch seats.

Another hot spot is vending machines - some people just forget their change. Sometimes people drop it and it lands underneath.

When lots of money changes hands, more coins fall. Near kiosks and drive-thru windows coins often fall. Car wash places have lots of coins laying around. Same goes for big parking lots at grocery stores or malls.

Coins like to land in crooks and crannies. Dimes oftentimes fall as they are small and camouflage easily.

Sometimes you can even find bills on the floor. They have a tendency to get stuck behind curbs or ledges since the wind pushes them there. The point is: be alert.

Sometimes people just leave behind pennies on top of vending machines, or throw them away. Hey, as good ol' Ben Franklin said though, "a penny saved is a penny earned."

And always look at the coin that you find. You might just find a rare penny or a silver quarter or dime, which is worth more than face value. Even a pre-1982 Lincoln penny is worth more than face value because of its copper content and old age.