The Penny Bar

It’s doubtful that any business in Springfield displays more images of Abraham Lincoln than The Penny Bar. Shiny 2008 pennies cover the bar. For decades, the neighborhood pub at 2815 Price St. has been home to a bar covered end to end with Lincoln pennies. The bar has been in the same location near Summit Avenue since 1931, according to city directories. In 1977, the former owners installed the fi

rst penny bar. The whole bar, the railing underneath and a cash register table were filled with 1977 pennies. After 30 years, wear and tear took its toll on the bar and the surface began to crack and bend. The Abes started to amble. In 2008, the bar was redone with shiny, new 2008 pennies. Treasury had to be called to put in an order. It was a long and complicated process, but the pretty pennies finally arrived in Springfield. All heads up, side by side, facing north, 10, 250 pennies are on the bar, which is 20 feet long and 2 feet wide. Rumor is, somewhere there are three 1977 pennies and a heads down penny located amongst the thousands of pennies. Once the Abes were perfectly positioned, the bar top was covered with a thick coat of polyurethane. It hardened overnight, but took about a week to completely dry. The Penny Bar is a neighborhood bar that serves lunch and dinners. There are fish Frys on Fridays. The Penny Bar is put to good use as an anchor for the state employees, construction workers and neighborhood patrons who stop in to eat, drink and chat. Everyone is welcome - young, old, in town, out of town, Cards fans, Cub fans.