>> reporter: he's on a first-name basis with bank tellers in med foford, oregon, scouring banks with one thing on his mind. pennies. buying some, changing others back in for cash. it all seems a little weird. but he's no collector. and he's not alone. he's what's known as a penny hoarder. from the orange tubs that hold an astonishing 200,000 pennies in a shed next to his house, to the hours spent sorting, it's no joke. he's really into pennies. but not just any pennies. only those that are from 1982 or earlier. because those aren't just spare change. they're med of copper, and get this, a copper penny is worth more than a penny. it worth 2.4 cents. >> the copper has such a different sound than zinc pennies. real money has a definite sound of money and if you listen to a modern zinc penny, they don't sound the same. they sound sort of tinny. >> reporter: here's the thing, copper's price has been skyrocketing. just look at this chart from the last few years. the rising price has led to some unusual crime sprees. thiefs have been exploiting the value in obscure items. stripping the copp