1 million worthless pennies

[OnyxCougar]

From CNN
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A California man who collected 1 million pennies for a bet is having a hard time cashing in on his $10,000 fortune.

Ron England has amassed 3.6 tons of copper in his garage in the Los Angeles suburb of Granada Hills after making a bet with his brother 30 years ago that he could collect 1 million pennies.

But neither the U.S. Mint, the U.S. Comptroller of Currency, coin collectors nor the local bank is interested in cashing in his stash -- at least without a charge.

"I've been working seriously for the past two weeks to get rid of these pennies," England, 60, told the Los Angeles Daily News. "It's kind of frustrating. Nobody will take them without charging me."

What's worse. England is still waiting for his brother to honor his side of the bet -- a meal in Paris.

"I don't remember making the wager. Am I still good for it? I'm not going to answer that question," Russ England told the Daily News.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but pennies are still a legal tender to debts. Doesn't the government HAVE to change them?