The Confusing And Gruesome History Of Batman's Giant Penny 

Now I want a story that's nothing but Bruce and Alfred trying to get the pennie inside the batcave, like it's a really big sofa

Y'know, I'm surprised none of DC's writers ever thought to try to reinvent him as a hacker who creates a program that makes it that every time someone in Gotham makes an electronic transaction, he gets a penny from it. Based on a census done after the New 52, I figure this way, he'd make a minimum $10,000 dollars a day. Plus, it would be an interesting thing that could rely on Barbara's Oracle skills.

that tied-to-a-giant-coin death trap would be more diabolic if you had one person strapped to each side

The modern retellings made Batman look like a sociopath as he kept a giant coin that crashed Penny Plunderer to death while he presumably made Alfred or Robin wipe the blood off the coin lol.

Sometimes a giant penny in the background, is just a giant penny in the background.

"Tim. Why is the giant penny wedged inside the mechanical dinosaur?" "I tried telling Connor the T-Rex wasn't a coin-operated ride, but he just wouldn't listen."

"it doesn't need to be that gritty, bro." is a message most comics could take to heart these days, especially DC, ESPECIALLY Batman

I think Joe Coyne should definitely keep turning up like a bad penny.

There needs to be a haunted penny story. The penny is now possessed by Coyne's soul, and makes "spooky" ghost noises anytime Bruce is around.

It’d be interesting if Bruce had kept the giant penny in memory of Joe Coyne if he did get crushed to death by it and Bruce felt guilty for his indirect/direct actions for joe. Or that gcpd was like “hey we don’t have room in the evidence lockers for the big coin” and Batman just gets it because he’s got a room big enough for that.

Robin: "Hey, Batman, where'd you get that giant penny?" Batman: "Giant penny?? Egads! We've been shrunk down by Mr Freeze's diabolical shrink ray!" Robin: "Oh no!" Batman: "Lol...no, it's just a real a big penny. Watch out! A dinosaur!" Robin: "Whaa..?"

Now that we are in the Age of the Omniverse and all stories are valid, I choose to believe that the giant coin is a gift to Batman from the King of Mars.

The penny is mightier than the sword..and twice as deadly! Just ask Joe coin, it killed him twice!

Technically, Two-Face did flip a coin in the latest update to the story. It just happened to be the giant murder penny.

Given it seems that every character now remembers their lives from before reboots what with 'everything is canon' you could tell a pretty interesting story about Joe remembering the goofy fun of the golden age, dying, his time in hell & dying again and how that afects him. God I wish DC had done something with their 'everyone remembers their previous lives' thing from the end of Death Metal instead of using it as a throw away line.

The story of Joe Coyne is a real penny dreadful!

So in that one version Batman pretty much went "wow, that dude got crushed by a giant coin. Robin, wipe off the blood, I'm taking that thing as a souvenir!"

06:29 Dark Claw, the Amalgam fusion of Batman and Wolverine, had a Canadian penny is his Dark Claw Cave.

I can't confirm that the U.S. Mint is discontinuing the penny. Best I could find was an April Fool's Day article.

I have follow-up questions about the penny. How did Batman actually get the giant penny into the Batcave? I hope that Alfred didn't have to carry it! Or maybe Batman kept it as a butlers' day gift (yes, that is a real holiday, Google it) for Alfred, after all, Alfred's last name is Pennyworth. 🤔

Doesn't anyone else love that he claims he will use coppers to get back at coppers and then it is the inclusion if a zinc-steel penny that helps Batman escape him?

Too often a villains back story involves being rejected by their male/female object of desire. This is a serious attempt at showing a person being driven slightly neurotic.

I love how educational the original Golden Age stories are--that story could teach someone that you can make batteries out of pennies, and it taught me that zinc pennies were once produced during the war!

Good gravy! The original script for the Penny Plunderer would work so well for an episode of _Batman: The Brave and the Bold._

Personally I like the Zero Year version. It makes sense that Bruce would keep it in that context, because defeating the Riddler was important to Bruce in that continuity and he would definitely keep a memento (also what else would he keep? The broken Riddler blimps? The car he drank gasoline out of? The lion he punched? Okay maybe the lion would be cool). So now when I see it in the batcave, it reminds me of a story I'm fond of The Golden age needs more love though. Modern comics treat it like an embarrassment sometimes and it makes me sad

Is enough weight for this story ... a PENNYWEIGHT?! I'll see myself out. Also, origin of dinosaur next! It's always baffled me, and Batman getting it from a Dinosaur Island theme park sounds hilarious. Since it's an animatronic, I'm also surprised it isn't a booby trap a la Wayne Family Adventures Episode 1.

Honestly I love hearing about the wacky Gold-and-Silver age villains like this, and having Penny Plunderer treated like that in the modern day is just harsh. And "Almost Got'im is easily one of the best B:TAS episodes they made imho.

That Penny Plunderer comic actually sound really good(?!)

After watching this my head canon is that the giant coin was used in many different places over the years passing from different owners, and it just happened to be involved in a few Batman adventures. And after Batman coming across it so many times he took a fancy to it and managed to wangle it so he could keep it for himself. So not so much a retcon, just an extension of the coins lore.

I'm still waiting for the giant penny to make its live action debut in a Batman movie, and the t-rex.

I’m just going to go with the personal HC that Batman keeps it in memory of his (nonlethal) with coin truly a hilarious foe and a reminder that sometimes crime doesn’t pay and if it does it’s small.

You know, with all these updates to the story, I'm surprised that there isn't anyone who goes "Why are we giving this to Barman?" or them tracking down the coin to find Batman using a metal decay tracker or something... But hey, we still got the giant robot dinosaur to talk about lol

You had me at "the penny has been retconned" -- that and your Joe Coyne voice!

The original story is the superior one, and that's not something I say often when Golden Age comics are involved. There are definitely better uses for that giant penny, though. It's worth a bloody fortune just as scrap metal.

Wow, using copper pennies to fight the coppers, that actually makes a lot of… CENTse lol

Maybe the penny on the lips was referencing the Greek myth where you put a coin in the mouth of the dead to pay the ferryman to take you across the Styx?

I always found reading a comic aloud to be silly, but that penny monologue was just perfect. It's only February but you decided to make the best comic content of the year so far.

I also wonder how Bats gets this coin back to the cave. Does he rent a moving truck, dressed as a Bat in U-Haul demanding service with no ID? Does the cave entrance have the clearance for a coin that size? Did Alfred mix the cement for the penny's stand?

In the original golden age story, Coyne comes across more unhinged then some of Batman’s usual rogues

I'm surprised Penny isn't the name of his first love as well! Also how did Bruce get the penny back to the cave did he ziptie to the roof of the batmobile or did he and robin roll it across town!

It is still kind of odd that the police let him keep it, or that Batman would bother to keep such a ridiculous item. Don't get me wrong, I love the giant penny, it's one of the major highlights of the Batcave along with the giant playing card and the robot t-rex. I just have to wonder how the cops agreed or what Batman was thinking. Maybe the evidence impound for large items was full and so Batman in a rare moment of whimsy offered to dispose of it for the police, or maybe Wayne bought it after the case was closed.. ooor maybe someone ELSE bought it for Wayne. I can see Superman or Alfred putting a bid on it at auction and no one else wanting it, and they manage to secret it into the cave, and Batman just goes along with it? Anyway, I hope you tackle the giant card and dinosaur robot!

I wanted a tangent about payphones

I like the Penny Plunderer. I feel like there should be a comeback story about Joe Coyne involving those penny reworking machines at the zoo that turn your penny's into a neat copper trinket...for TWO dollars! Think of the puns! Penny for your thoughts gents??? Eh?

One of the things I took away from this me was how as much as that enjoyed learning about this character and how it changed my opinion to where the penny came from being a 90's youth thinking it was Two-face was how I get the change in who did it as time and inflation happened. As pointed out in the video the penny is something almost obsolete in current economics but would have been a more important thing to keep when it came out. Thanks for this interesting dive into something I wondered a while now.

0:18 _"This coin has killed, and will kill again."_ That's why it keeps turning up in the Batcave... it's a _bad_ penny!

I have learned so much from your videos. I certainly have a new appreciation for Golden and Silver Age comics. I'm seeing that despite their sometimes campy nature, there can be layers to the stories.

I love obscure characters like these. *I love obscure stuff in general, whether it's music, films, or comic books. Always a fun time.*

I love that golden age villains are basically a bunch of drama queen with too much free time

Thought screaming... finally a relatable villain

I want him back as a slick heist master with a copper color suit and domino mask learned to have better escape plans after being thwarted by incorrect charge.

This story behind the penny is everything I could have hoped for an more. What a wild ride. Haha. So many pennies for so many thoughts.

Fun Fact: There actually was a case sometime around 2011 or 12 where a hacker stole 1 penny from every bank account from several banks resulting in him getting 78 million dollars before it was noticed during routine bank audits. So if Joe coins character was redone as a master hacker, he'd have more legitimacy. Though Ghost in the Shell already did that angle with Hideo Kuze in the second anime series, so I don't know if that would be plagiarism.

Coin needs to have kids that are seeking revenge. His daught, Penny, the Penny Pincher! His sons, Nick L. & Di M., the Nichle and Dime gang!

I figure a modern interpretation for Coin could be a white collar thing, with Penny Stocks being behind why the dude turned to crime. Him losing everything would be a good reason to attack some stock market dudes for retribution.

Did this guy have an Aunt Penny? If so, was she his Penny Ante? Also, the modern age version (as indicated by the artwork), traded in his manic thought face, for copious amounts of eye liner! At least he didn’t start an Arcade Fire! I do like the Whim City! But not in a crop top. No one wants to see me in that. Myself included. Not for one red cent.

Here's a question, was Riddler really a Green Arrow villan? I hear about it all the time but can't find the story where it happened? Also was it good?

BATMAN "almost got'm" episode of how he got the coin is much better 👍

Axel Braun looking at that last quote and going "Barbara, write that down!"

The batman depicted with that voice is possibly the best version of batman. dark af too. "wash the blood off, robin..."

Joe Coin could really make some coin stealing pennies today. The 1943 copper penny alone is worth a mill.

Thanks so much for this, I already knew about Penny Plunderer and his connection to the giant coin, but I didn't know the specifics. I've got to say, that original Golden Age story sounds much better than I'd expected.

I remember this story! I read it in the early '70s. It may have been a reprint. I especially remember thinking it was great when Batman made a battery from pennies. I tried to remember how he did it in case I was ever in a similar situation.

I love how Sasha makes read really old comics and actually enjoy them, it's a refreshing perspective, in that case even better than most the posterior versions.

“The penny has been retconned” is funny asf lol.

Thanks for giving Joe Coyne his due! I've loved this story ever since I read the reprint in the early '70s. I did not know about those later appearances...typical of DC's love/hate relationship with their own history. "Dinosaur Island" coming up next, by any chance? That's another good'un.

The phrase "Stool Pigeon" was used a lot in the Flintstones but they just meant someone they could easily beat in a game (mainly bowling) so it could have evolved.

I'm only a third of the way through the video so far but your writing is just as phenomenal as in that first story. I'm loving it.

Question. When they were doing rough drafts of this story, did they realize how far into comedy they were veering? Given the times this was originally published in, cannot figure that one out.

He could steal quarters, then he'd be a two-bit thief.

9:53 Two Face: What did you say about my car boy?

The Giant Penny vs. The Big Wheel: the crossover we deserve.

Pennies are still legal tender here in Britain. Mind you the days of being able to afford a sweet with them are long long gone. Growing up in the 70's, in the days before video games, my family would often go to the seaside town of Swanage on days trips. One of the amusement arcades there had a machine where if you put in a penny and pressed a button, it would launch a model rocket and if it hit the moon - model rocket on a stick, this is - you would win a piece of bubblegum. That gum was absolutely horrible to the taste. But I always enjoyed playing that machine anyhow. Kids these days don't know what they're missing. Long gone from circulation though are half pence pieces. I forget when they vanished. They were so small and fiddly nobody liked them. So no chance of their ever having been a half penny plunderer. Is the expression spend a penny, - a euphemism for using a public convenience - strictly British or is it universal? Suppose the Penny Plunderer got caught short when in the middle of a crime and had to go and deal with, he would then find Batman waiting for him when he comes out the toilet. 'Ironic. The Penny Plunderer. A criminal who steals pennies. Had to spend one. And that brought him to justice.'

If it was me I would have made Coin cheap, always trying to pull off crimes on the cheap, being a real penny-pincher!

"he get weird gifts" yeah the dinosaur was also a gift after his stopping it

They should bring this guy back as a Bitcoin Crime Boss.

The nickelback joke got me 🤣

The animated series were the perfect mix of silly and serious stories, the Joker going around and killing while doing messed up things and monologuing "it's not about the money" it's cool but kinda edgy while the joker fearing the IRS, throwing explosive pies, using other thematic weapons/gadgets and actually being greedy and wanting to rule the crime underworld is actually fun, same with other villains, Catwoman robbing cat related jewelry/art, the penguin stealing bird stuff, two face using an unnecessary coin flip trap to kill batman, these days most villains kill and do crimes without using their corny themes even a little, comics take themselves too seriously but I guess you can only use a gimmick villain so many times before you run out of ideas.

Step aside Mr. Freeze, there's a new saddest darkest backstory villain

That first story is really good for the Golden Age

The penny is so insanely silly it takes me out of the stories sometimes but whenever a bat cave doesn’t have it I’m disappointed. You gotta have the giant penny somewhere in there it’s the rules

"It doesn't need to be that gritty, bro." -- probably also said by the Riddler's lo-key frat-boy redesign with sideburns, during his crossover with the giant penny.

I’ve read this issue of World’s Finest, and I love it! I’m always happy to see your videos Sasha!

More random penny facts: Pennies in the UK are still alive and kicking (well, not ACTUALLY alive, that would be weird...). They do talk of abolishing them, but nothing doing yet. Now I'm hoping we'll see the forgotten history of the Puzzler!

I would really enjoy seeing a video about Queenie, the Joker's first Henchgirl!

My favorite part of this video is the Captain Picard video clip. Live long and prosper, Sasha, my fellow Trekkie! 💻🖖🏾💖

In reality very little of the Batman art attributed to Bob Kane was done by Bob Kane . It was mostly ghosted by another artist . Kane paid his ghost artists poorly , blamed them when stories were poorly received and gave them absolutely no public credit , claiming their work as his own for decades . Bob was perhaps not the highest caliber person .

This so unrelated to the video but I need to know your thoughts on the new Comixology update. I don’t think I’ve heard a single positive review for it and that’s not me exaggerating. I don’t think I can use the app anymore, its awful now

Joe really got that tales from the hood ending in the 90s. It’s messed up because it’s not like he was killing people heavy in that story. Like I’d take purgatory but not straight up hell

I think this rainbow wig might be my favorite. If you ever choose to do your hair like one of your wigs, this one has my vote. 😁

The giant coin was the killer all along.

Since his demise was by that giant, heavy coin.......you could say he was.......... penny wise pound foolish

The 90s Penny Plunderer story is the first Batman comic I remember owning. I’ll always have a soft spot for it. I remember reading (most of) the golden age story and wondering why he didn’t end up in hell.

During the golden age remember how people were getting knocked out with those "sap" clubs? Imagine getting hit with a bag of pennies. How could the Electric Company's Spider Man episodes passed this idea for a story by?

I wonder if DC felt that one coin theme villain was enough and that resulted in the unceremonious deaths.

Ever notice how Gotham always tends to host exhibitions and events which just happen to suit the motif of that week's villain du jour? "The Condiment King's sure to target the hot dog eating championship, Robin!"

"This Coyne has definitely flipped." Shit, that's a good one. Lost it on that one. 😆

I was just telling someone about Batman's giant penny right before you released this....lol I love the golden age penny story best. Can you also tell about Batman's Dinosaur in the bat cave

You can see the giant Penny Joker gave on display in Action Comics #241. Yep, the "Bad Penny" Joker gave Batman is in the Fortress of Solitude. I think the writer forgot they gave it to Superman at some point. That is why there is a giant 'Joker Penny' there. Writers will sometimes forget where it was decided to place things and not just because of there being multitude of writers.

I love that the original story is genuinely better than the modern attempts. Trying to make fun of the Golden Age or make a gritty version of a Bill Finger story is already an uphill battle. The man was the master. The first time I read the Penny Plunderers I was blown away. It is classic Finger, socially conscious elements about wealth, random neat trivia, clever schemes that have an internally consistent logic, and good plotting. The whole thing works and the jokey element or absurdity of it is part of the mild commentary. Joe Coyne's life and future are worth less than a penny in a way funnier and darker manner than "oh what if he got smushed by the giant penny, that'd be metal!!!". My point is Bill Finger is unironically still the GOAT

Since I was born in the 80s for the longest time I only ever knew of the Two Face connection to the coin. It wasn't til I was talking comics with my father one day that he brought up the Penny Plunderer, confusing me greatly. Lol