Mystery penny

I pulled the jeans out of the cardboard box in the Toyota, where they had been lying for over ten years. We had prepared that box with clothes, shoes, and other necessities in case we needed to flee our home unprepared during an earthquake. They were grey-blue Levi’s 514, fashionable fifteen-twenty years ago. I put them on and tried them on—they fit perfectly; the jeans hadn’t shrunk. Now they looked stylish again, after their color and style had long been forgotten. I should wear them, even though the shelves are full of newer Levi’s. But not now, because it’s the season of shorts. I took them off and placed them on the shelf next to the others. As I was putting them away, a penny fell out of the back pocket. Great—I’ll add it to my collection. Over the years, I have accumulated about forty pounds of pennies. But this one looked suspiciously new—it gleamed with fresh copper. I looked at the date—it was minted in 2024. Impossible—these jeans had been put away in 2014 or even earlier. How did a new coin end up there?

I went to the Toyota and took everything out of that cardboard box—there were no other coins or anything that could give clues about the origin of this cent. The cardboard box is not sealed—there are gaps both at the top and bottom through which a coin could enter. But there are no other coins in the trunk. Moreover, getting into the pocket would be an even greater miracle.

That question still hangs in the air in my home office, hindering my movement, but I have yet to find a solution for it.