Lansing’s Potter Park Zoo Is Replacing These Longtime Souvenirs

Some people collect baseball cards. Some people collect Beanie Babies. Me? I collect pressed pennies. And Lansing is about to get some new ones!

What Is a Pressed Penny?

If you don't know what a pressed penny is, it's exactly what it sounds like—a penny that's been pressed and flattened so that a new image can be pressed into it. You can usually find these types of machines in places where a lot of people visit. Think amusement parks, museums, tourist stops, and zoos. They're meant to be small, fun mementos and souvenirs.

Did you know that Lansing is home to multiple pressed pennies?

Where to Find Pressed Penny Machines in Lansing

A couple of those machines can be found inside Potter Park Zoo.

The Potter Park pressed penny machines can be found just outside the gift shop, which is located near the entrance. The two machines there have been in use for over 20 years! They each feature a different original design: a lemur, a mandrill, a black rhino, and an African Lion.

These Potter Park Zoo Pennies Are Being Retired

If you collect pennies and these four from Potter Park Zoo aren't in your collection, you should go and get yours soon! In the next few weeks, Potter Park Zoo plans to retire these designs to make room for new ones.

READ ALSO: Pursuing Pressed Pennies? Here's Where to Find Them in Lansing

Which species will appear on the new pressed pennies coming to Potter Park Zoo? Only time will tell. But you can best believe that I'll be there with my shiniest pennies in hand.

Take a look at the pennies that are on their way out in the Facebook post below.

(Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo via Facebook)