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November 1912. "Pitching Pennies. Providence, Rhode Island. For Child Welfare Exhibit." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
When we pitched pennies we would stand or kneel behind a line and each take a turn pitching our pennies against the bottom of a wall. The owner of the penny that came to rest closest to the wall got to keep all of the other pennies. If two pennies ended up as "touchers," the loot was split. No "rollers" or "scooters" allowed. The pennies had to hit the wall before hitting the ground. A good technique was to flip the coins toward the wall in hopes that the penny would strike the wall on the flat side and slide down the wall to come to rest very close to the wall. These boys seem to be playing by different rules.
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