World · Europe · 6 hrs ago
Urbania postman collects more than 1.17 million one-cent coins
Bruno Salvi, a postman in Urbania in Italy’s Marche region, has collected more than 1.17 million one-cent coins.
The collection weighs more than 27 tonnes and is stored in 28 large glass containers.
He began collecting coins as a child, first saving old Italian lire before turning to euro cents.
Friends and people he met while delivering mail have also given him coins.
The weight caused cracks in the concrete near his home’s staircase, so he moved the containers to lower floors.
Salvi says he now wants to reach 1.5 million coins, and sees each coin as carrying a story from the people and places it has passed through.
Urbania postman Bruno Salvi has collected more than a million one-cent coins, stored in 28 glass demijohns.
The weight of the collection caused cracks in the concrete around his home’s stairs, so he moved the containers to lower floors.
People he met while delivering mail have helped add to the collection by giving him coins.
Salvi says he hopes to reach 1.5 million coins.
Reports give slightly different totals: one says 1,177,265 coins worth €11,771.65, while two others say about 1,176,000 coins worth €11,760.
- Who
- Bruno Salvi, a postman in Urbania.
- What
- He has collected more than a million one-cent coins and keeps them in 28 demijohns.
- When
- The collection began in childhood with Italian lire coins; he began collecting euro cents after the lira ended.
- Where
- Urbania, in Italy’s Marche region.
- Why
- He says he wanted to see how many one-cent coins he could collect; he also reflects on the people and journeys behind each coin.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Salvi began collecting old 20- and 500-lire coins.
He began collecting one-cent euro coins.
The collection grew, with people he met while delivering mail giving him coins.
Salvi moved the heavy demijohns to lower floors of his home.
Salvi says he hopes to reach 1.5 million coins.
- Collector
- Bruno Salvi
- Location
- Urbania, Marche, Italy
- Containers
- 28 glass demijohns, each reported as holding 30 litres
- Reported count
- 1,176,000 coins in two reports; 1,177,265 in another
- Reported value
- €11,760 in two reports; €11,771.65 in another
- Next target
- 1.5 million coins
3 sources
Urbania, il postino Bruno ha collezionato oltre un milione in monete da un centesimo: «Ognuna ha una storia»
Raccoglie oltre un milione di monete da un centesimo in 28 damigiane. Il postino Bruno: “Crepe in casa, ho dovuto spostarle”
Accumula monetine da un centesimo per anni, ne raccoglie oltre un milione e rischia di far crollare le scale di casa
What people are saying
Let me keep working as a postman. November 9 will be my last day of work; I ask for at least six more months.
Now I would like to reach one and a half million, but if the coins keep circulating, even more.
How many hands will have touched these coins? How many exchanges? How many journeys will they have made and how many places will they have passed through before ending up in these demijohns?