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Thursday, 5th November 2009 (824 views)

A gold penny made by a US artist and put into circulation two years ago has been found.

Jack Daws originally made 11 of the pennies - which were crafted from 18-c gold and covered in copper to make them look genuine - and put one of them into circulation at Los Angeles International Airport in 2007, with the others going on display at the Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle, Washington.

Two and a half years later, New York-based designer Jessica Reed realised she had the penny after the gold started to show through on the coin and she discovered that it was significantly heavier than a standard penny.

The coin carries a date of 1970 and has no mintmark. Mr Daws used $100 (£60) worth of gold in each piece.

Speaking to the New York Times, Ms Reed said she was hoping to have the penny framed.

"I can't imagine being an artist who does something like this. It's the opposite of having your stuff shown in a gallery," she commented.

 

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