An Italian postman collects 1.17 million one-cent coins

Update

Italian postman Bruno Salvi possesses a treasure of 1.176 million one-cent coins

Bruno Salvi, a postman from the town of Urbania in the Marche region of Italy, has amassed a collection of 1,176,000 one-cent coins, with a total weight of 2,710 kilograms. His passion dates back to his childhood, when he collected old Italian 20 and 500 lire notes. With the adoption of the euro, he focused on one-cent coins, determined to see how far he could take his collecting. ^[2]

The coins are kept in 28 glass demijohns, each holding 30 litres. The collection grew significantly over time thanks to the support of friends and strangers who offered him coins they had on hand. The immense weight of these small coins caused serious structural problems in his home, cracking the concrete of the stairs and forcing Salvi to move the demijohns to the lower levels of the house to prevent a possible collapse. Despite facing these practical difficulties, the postman states that he intends to continue collecting and to gather even more coins. ^[2]

Update

Italian postman Bruno Salvi had already accumulated over 1.17 million one-cent coins

Bruno Salvi, a postman from the town of Urbania in the Marche region of Italy, holds one of the most impressive collections of one-cent coins, comprising over 1.176 million pieces, which weigh a total of approximately 2.7 tonnes. The collection, held in 28 glass demijohns of 30 litres each, has a nominal value of 11,760 euros, but its true value lies in the record weight and count. Bruno’s passion for coins dates back to his childhood, when he collected old Italian 20 and 500 lire notes. The adoption of the euro redirected this hobby toward one-cent coins, challenging him to see how far he could go in accumulating them. ^{[4] [3]}

Initially, the containers of coins were placed directly on the stairs of his home, but the extreme weight began to cause cracks in the concrete. To avoid a collapse, Salvi was forced to transfer the demijohns to the lower levels of the house. Although he faces these physical difficulties, Bruno Salvi does not intend to abandon his passion. On the contrary, he declares that he wishes to continue collecting coins and expanding the collection. The postman’s future goals are ambitious: his next target is to reach the threshold of 1.5 million coins. If he succeeds, his collection will weigh approximately 3.45 tonnes and have a nominal value of 15,000 euros. ^{[4] [3]}

Update

An Italian postman collects 1.17 million one-cent coins

Bruno Salvi, a postman from the town of Urbania in the Marche region of Italy, has accumulated a collection of over one million one-cent coins, valued nominally at 11,760 euros and weighing 2,710 kilograms, reports Il Resto del Carlino R932633_1, confirming data from other reports. ^[5]

Salvi’s passion for coins dates back to his childhood, when he collected 20 and 500 lire notes because he considered them the prettiest. After the disappearance of the lira, he switched to one-cent coins, wanting to see how far he could get with such a collection, not out of numismatic interest, but from the pleasure of surpassing his own record R932633_1. ^[5]

The structural problems arose because the immense weight affected his home. “Over time, I had to move them to the lower floors, because the concrete in the stairwell of the building started to show initial cracks,” the postman said in an interview with Tele2000 R932633_1. ^[5]

Local residents encountered during his work also contributed to the growth of the collection. “People gave me one-cent coins when they met me on the street or when I delivered their mail. I still deliver letters on foot today,” Bruno explained R932633_1. ^[5]

The threshold of 1.176 million coins does not represent the end of the road for him. “Now I would like to reach one and a half million, but if the coins keep circulating, perhaps even more,” he said R932633_1. He reflects on the social impact of these small pieces: “I wonder: how many millions of people have held these coins in their hands? Normally, nobody thinks about that.” R932633_1 ^[5]

Update

Italian postman Bruno Salvi collects over one million coins, reaching 2,700 kilograms

Bruno Salvi, a postman from Urbania in the Marche region of Italy, has been collecting one-cent coins since childhood, when he gathered 20 and 500 lire notes, considering them the most beautiful. With the adoption of the euro, he redirected his passion toward one-cent coins, not intending to value the rarity of the collection, but simply for the pleasure of accumulating them and surpassing his own record. Salvi explains the process of gathering coins during his postal service: “People gave me cents when they met me on the street or when I delivered their mail. And today I still deliver mail on foot.” ^[6]

So far, Salvi has accumulated 1,176,000 coins, kept in 28 glass demijohns of 30 litres each. The collection weighs 2,700 kilograms and has a nominal value of 11,760 euros. The immense volume and weight caused serious structural problems in his home, with the concrete of the stairs beginning to crack. To prevent a possible collapse, the postman was forced to move the demijohns from the stairs to the lower floors. Salvi’s new goal is to reach the threshold of 1.5 million coins, which would mean a weight of approximately 3.45 tonnes and a nominal value of 15,000 euros, hoping that coins will continue to circulate sufficiently to achieve this. ^[6]