Italian postman amasses 2.7 tons of one-cent coins, becoming a local legend (2 photos)

For decades, Italian postman Bruno Salvi saved every penny he could get his hands on. Eventually, his collection grew so heavy that the concrete stairs in his home started to crack.





A single one-cent coin weighs just 2.3 grams, but 1.176 million of them weigh a whopping 2.7 metric tons. The sheer weight forced him to move his stash to the lower floors—though he has no plans to stop anytime soon, Bild reports.

Salvi started collecting spare change as a child. Today, his hoard stands at 1.176 million copper coins, worth €11,760.

He wasn't interested in hunting down rare or valuable coins; he was hooked on sheer volume.

"When the lira was phased out, I started gathering one-cent coins. I just wanted to see how far I could go," he recalled.

And Salvi certainly came a long way. Many residents in his hometown of Urbania knew about his unusual hobby and pitched in. Whether bumping into him on the street or receiving their mail, locals would hand over their loose change.



Recently, however, his copper treasure began causing some concern. The coins fill 28 giant 30-liter glass jars, tipping the scales at 2,710 kilograms. The massive load was so heavy it actually cracked the concrete in his house.

"Eventually, I had to move them to the lower floors," the postman admitted.

Cracked concrete hasn't dampened his enthusiasm, though. He already has his sights set on his next milestone.

"Now I want to hit 1.5 million. And if the coins stay in circulation, maybe even more," he says.