Realcent.org

I had this question buried in a thread ("Where Have You Found Coins/Currency?") where it wouldn't really be seen, so I will pose this out of the box type question on this eleventh day of Christmas.

You are in a men's room, only to wash your hands, and are in no particular hurry. You see something in the urinal that looks a bit unusual. Nobody else is in the men's room, and it is one of those that is seldom used. Looking further, you see that what is in the urinal is an Indian Head penny and it appears to be in decent shape (let's just say Fine or maybe better).

Do you pick it up?

Now, let's up the stakes. If you said "No, I wouldn't pick it up", I will counter with this. What if you could plainly see (I know- some don't have vision that good- but just go along like you had great vision) that the coin was an 1877. Would you pick it up then?

For ladies, let's assume it is a combo Men's/Women's bathroom that you are using and that it has a urinal in it.

Any and all responses appreciated. If you want to counter with something like "I'd pick it up if it was a gold double eagle", that is fine.

I'll start. I'm not a total germaphobe, but do wash my hands A LOT. I'd judge the general cleanliness of the rest room and check to be sure there was plenty of soap on hand for me to wash my hands (and perhaps the coin) before taking the dive. I would also check for that type of paper that people use to dry their hands, not the flimsy toilet paper if at all possible. I might suddenly not feel like eating the meal I came into the restaurant for. But, yes, I'd go after even a common date Indian. So there. (If it was a regular zinc Lincoln, there is not a chance in you know what that I'd do the dirty deed)

What about everyone else?

I know someone very well whose response would be:

"Steve, how could you EVER post something like that on a public forum? That is so disgusting!"

20 minutes later that person walks into the room and says... "Could you change it to a steel cent because I've always liked those?"

Yes! Absolutely, without a second thought. I'm in a bathroom, I can just wash my hands after. Total no-brainer.

merchoarder wrote:Yes! Absolutely, without a second thought. I'm in a bathroom, I can just wash my hands after. Total no-brainer.

Exactly my thought. Hands and the newly found coin can be washed with soap and water immediately after picking it up.

Heck, I crawl under tables at Taco Bell for a regular penny.. No difference. I'd grab it! lol

reddirtcoins wrote:Heck, I crawl under tables at Taco Bell for a regular penny.. No difference. I'd grab it! lol

I laughed when I read this, but then I realized I'm pretty much the same way.

By the way, a hat tip is in order to cwgii and hobo finds for the idea for this thread. The original posting was under the thread "Where Have You Found Coins and Currency?"

Heck, if I see chewing gum that looks like it may still have a little flavor left....well..... .

Rodebaugh wrote:Heck, if I see chewing gum that looks like it may still have a little flavor left....well..... .

Dude, you can tell if it still has flavor by looking at it?
Is that major dentist sense, or trial and error?

If I found an Indian head in a urinal the first thing I would do is look for the rest of the Indian. Then I’d call the cops.

OneBiteAtATime wrote:If I found an Indian head in a urinal the first thing I would do is look for the rest of the Indian. Then I’d call the cops.

OneBiteAtATime wrote:If I found an Indian head in a urinal the first thing I would do is look for the rest of the Indian. Then I’d call the cops.

I can hear the late Ed McMahon saying "HIOOOOO!"

I always have my Leatherman on my belt. I'd just flip out the pliers and reach in to grab. An initial soap and wash then get home and disinfect...voila!

Side note: Speaking of pennies and urine....Growing up in the 70's in metro Boston, our neighborhoods were still very ethnic (I lived near a Portuguese neighborhood, a Jewish neighborhood and a Lithuanian neighborhood while the underlying populace was mostly Irish....). Needless to say a lot of the older folks were from the "Old Country" and had a lot of old school remedies for common maladies. My friend lived with his grandparents next door to me for a while and in the course of his daily kid life he developed some warts on his hand. His Grandmother told him to "pee on a penny, then rub the wart". At the time I thought she was nuts. Evidently there is some info online claiming that this home remedy works.I will stick to Compound-W.

Keep stacking even if it means reaching into urinals.......wart prevention?

flush and retrieve

I would check the others for coins as well!

These are the days of thrilling space travel so we cannot avoid the question that confronts us: What if you found an Indian Head in Uranus?

I would get the penny. Reminds me of a person I worked with who was a germophibe. They put gloves on to protect their hand from the coin. I put gloves on to protect the coin from my hands.

Tourney64 wrote:I would get the penny. Reminds me of a person I worked with who was a germophibe. They put gloves on to protect their hand from the coin. I put gloves on to protect the coin from my hands.

Given the location of your post immediately after mine, I need to ask: Are you responding to the original post or to mine just above?

Contradiction wrote: What if you found an Indian Head in Uranus?

It would have to be a BROWN Unc.

Responding to the 1st post -urinal.