The Crotty Estate via a 1943 Wheat Penny

Any cousin who ever went to Anna’s house was familiar with her ‘pennies.’ On her buffet was a chrome wine set with what I think today, was an ice bucket. Anna gave permission for all of us to take some of those pennies from the ice bucket and make a trip to the ‘PX,’ a convenience/candy store on 6th and Parade. This store used to be owned by a family member in years gone by. It had changed hands several times. At that time, the ‘PX’ had a cadre of wonderful penny candies to include wax lips, bubble gum, tootsie rolls, amongst a host of other candies.

One Saturday afternoon, my brother Mike and I were joined by either Dave Barron, Tom Barron, Dave Callahan, or all of the noted. One of us had seen an article in the Erie Times under coin collection. It indicated that there was a rare wheat penny from 1943. This penny was worth over $100,000. Needless to say, in the late 50’s, this was a lot of money! The group of us that day told Anna that we were going to see if any of her pennies, surely over 1,000 pennies in that ice bucket, were of this vintage. Anna supported us with Rola Cola, potato chips, and Swiss cheese while humoring our enthusiasm. We spent several hours going through the entire pot. And, low and behold, we found a 1943 wheat penny!

What a thrill! We then decided how Anna would spend her newly-found money. First, she would purchase a large estate, the ‘Crotty Estate.’ This would allow all Crotty families to have a family bedroom in this mansion, probably in Glenwood Hills. We would enjoy this on weekends. There would be a swimming pool. (We no longer had to go to Chestnut pool to swim) The boys wanted a baseball diamond and a basketball hoop. We’d no longer go to the CYS Club for bowling on Sunday, we’d have our own bowling alley. Then there would be servants. One of us decided that we would ask the servants to ‘peel our grapes.’ We laughed ourselves silly and went onto other modes, totally enjoying being amongst the rich and privileged. We would return to our own homes for the daily week, going to school where we were enrolled, to return on weekends.

After all of our enthusiasm, planning and expectations, as all luck would have it, our penny lacked the final demarcation needed to command the $100,000. We again convened at Anna’s. There would be no estate, no family rooms, no swimming pool, baseball diamond or basketball hoop, nor having our grapes peeled, or fancy dinners. Looked like it was back to the CYS Club on Sunday for bowling. However, all was not lost. We still had carte blanche to Anna’s house and her penny pot with our choice of penny candy at the PX.

It’s December, 24th, 1974. I am sitting in a church in New Jersey for Christmas Eve Mass listening to ‘Silent Night.’ I am holding my new baby, 1 month old. (This baby is now 35 years old) We came home, to receive the ‘Christmas Eve Call In’ from Anna, et al. Anna always had the entire family for a Christmas Eve party. Passing the phone from one family member to the next was both a fun and sacred experience. Your first Christmas without your family is a tough one, but the call allowed for continuity in spirit.

Thinking back on the many events Anna hosted for her family, be it Christmas Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, a new chair, or a lava lamp celebration, the ‘Crotty Estate’ was up and alive. Needless to say, Anna didn’t need to be amongst the rich and famous in a palatial mansion to behold the “Crotty Estate.’ It was there all the time.

Lucy Rastatter Cappello
April 8, 2010
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