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THE PENNY'S FUNERALI missed this "Celebration of Life" event, but got to watch a live stream Saturday afternoon (along with a whopping 19 other people). Lincoln impersonators, a hearse, and a casket full of pennies - what's not to like? -Editor This weekend, Washington, D.C. residents will gather to bid farewell to the penny, just over a month after the U.S. Mint stopped producing the 1-cent coin. The "very serious funeral" honoring the penny's legacy will take place at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1:01 p.m., according to a flyer for the event on Partiful. Funeralgoers are encouraged to BYOP— "bring your own penny"— to give the copper coin a proper sendoff. Mourners can also expect to hear from guest speakers, including a "real Lincoln family descendant," a coin appraiser and a noted penny economist, among others. As for dress code, organizers ask guests to dress in funeral garb, with a "heavy emphasis on Victorian clothing." Abraham Lincoln costumes are also welcome. 
I wish I'd heard about this beforehand - I live outside Washington, D.C., and might have arranged to be there. Off-beat history in the making. Mourners and tourists alike filed past the casket, dropping in pennies (and taking photos and selfies). Long live the cent! Check out the video linked below. It was sponsored by the Fintech company Ramp, an expense management platform. Marketing rep Amber was interviewed, saying that they wanted to bring attention to "an antiquated form of currency." Crowds were also lined up to sign the guest book, and there was another line to press a penny with a commemorative design for the event. -Editor 
Happy Mourner Amber
To watch the videos, see:
The Washington Post published an article Saturday evening. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor 
Hundreds gathered at the base of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday afternoon to mark the end of an era for the penny, after the U.S. Mint pressed the final coins last month. Jarell Mique, a co-producer and field producer for the event, said he was hired to "create a silly moment." He gathered actors and comedians from D.C., New York City, Utah, Texas and North Carolina. One by one, they gave remarks at the event, including interpretations of a jealous Mary Todd Lincoln, a pompous George Washington and a frightened Thomas Jefferson, who was scared that the nickel with his face on it might be the next to get axed. A Ramp employee who said he is Abraham Lincoln's second cousin, six times removed, offered words of comfort to the grieving crowd. The funeral also featured a guest book, a glass bowl with water where attendees could throw in pennies to make a wish, and a penny press branded to mark the occasion. At one point, an announcer wanted to know who had the oldest penny. The winner, he said, would get a $75 gift card from Ramp. Two men held up their coins, both from 1904 and five years before Lincoln's face was added to the coin, making it the first to feature a real person. The winner was decided with a coin toss. Caroline Warren, 26, stood on the lower steps of the memorial, holding a large cardboard penny with a hole in the middle for her face. She's been collecting pennies since childhood, and her mother keeps a five-gallon jar full of them at home, she said.
To read the complete articles, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: Subscribe All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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