100,000,000 Pennies

The Penny Harvest Field at Rockefeller Center

I would not have made a trip to Rockefeller Center during the peak of the tourist season, but when I saw mention of a field of pennies -- millions upon millions of pennies -- I decided to brave the crowds to see this spectacle before it moves on. It was worth the trip.

The Penny Harvest was sponsored by Common Cents, a non-profit organization which develops programs for young people. It is an interesting and inspiring project, but I was attracted to the Penny Field for its place as public art.

In addition to pennies the pool also contained coins tossed in by spectators. The pool contained quarters, nickels, and dimes; but the sea was mostly filled with pennies.