Man's 65,000 Pennies Refused As Court Payment

A man who was told he could not pay his 650 pound ($1,600) fine in bronze one pence pieces says he will pay up, but he will simply use silver five pence pieces instead.

Michael Rees tried to pay the fine for a careless driving conviction, which he still disputes, with monthly instalments of 4,000 pennies at a time.

The 41-year-old says he had paid 540 pounds of the debt with loads of pennies until the fines office refused to accept any more. They cited the 1971 Coinage Act, which says "bronze payments of more than 20 pence do not have to be accepted as legal tender", he says.

Rees has now agreed at a new hearing to use another denomination to pay his fine. But says he will simply pay using the next smallest denomination - silver five pence pieces.

"It's still going to be causing them a problem", he says with a smile. "It causes them a major problem because I de-bag it all and chuck it in their chute".

"I feel it's every person's right to pay in any denomination which they see as fit to pay".

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