10 pennies worth $1,000 each hidden around Charlotte for contest

Charlotteans who consider themselves too good to pick up a penny off the pavement could be missing out on a $1,000, as part of an Ally Financial contest that has so called “lucky pennies” sprinkled throughout 10 cities around the nation.

Ten of the specially made pennies have been hidden in Charlotte, each is worth $1,000. They can be redeemed online from Oct.18 through Dec. 31 at AllyLuckyPenny.com.

As of Thursday at 11 a.m., there had been no announcement of any of the pennies being found in Charlotte. However, one hint posted on the contest Web site said “check the racetrack.”

The pennies are all located “in plain sight and in public places,” Ally said Thursday morning. They are slightly larger than a regular penny, with the Ally logo on the front and the number 100,000 on the back, signifying how many cents an Ally Lucky Penny could be worth.

Ally unveiled the contest Wednesday and said the initiative seeks to demonstrate the importance of valuing every cent, while encouraging Americans to look for opportunities to save.

The other nine cities involved include: Austin, Texas, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Clues to penny locations and updates on those already found will be provided on social media at AllyLuckyPenny.com and follow the hashtag #AllyLuckyPenny on Twitter and Facebook.

“We hope that people will have fun searching for Ally Lucky Pennies in their cities and that the campaign will inspire people to look at money in a different way,” said Andrea Riley, chief marketing officer for Ally.