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All the United States Virginia Falls Church 'Pennies from Heaven'

'Pennies from Heaven'

A whopping 14,000 copper coins cover this miniature fighter jet.

Falls Church, Virginia

Added By
Rachel
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“Pennies from Heaven.”    croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
“Pennies from Heaven.”    croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Rear view of plane.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Pennies bent to fit the shape of the plane.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
One of at least six U.K. pennies goes against the flow of U.S. pennies.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Tails on the tail   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Lincoln heads   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
I found 1 Queen Elizabeth penny   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Hidden between the two buildings   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Parking is available at the grocery store marked by the yellow sign beyond the plane.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of the cockpit.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Starting to see some wear   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Plane from below.   croxrd13 / Atlas Obscura User
Several Pennie’s missing from the base   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Pennies from Heaven   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Parked indefinitely between two Falls Church City office buildings is perhaps the only plane in the Washington, D.C. area that you can access without waiting in dreadfully long airport security lines. This plane, a statue created in early 2008 by artist Courtney S. Hengerer of Alexandria, Virginia, stands more than six feet tall and is covered entirely in pennies—14,000 of them, to be exact. Hengerer titled her work, which resembles a fighter jet, “Pennies from Heaven.” 

According to a 2018 Washington Post article, this plane-shaped art was originally designed as part of a “statue event” campaign of the nearby Crystal City Business Improvement District. To commemorate Crystal City’s connection to flight (being located near Reagan National Airport and home to offices of several aerospace corporations), 50 artistic works representing planes, including “Pennies from Heaven,” were commissioned in early 2008.

When the Crystal Flight campaign ended, the plane statues were sold and BB&T bank obtained the distinctive “Pennies from Heaven” work of art. BB&T later relocated its offices to the Falls Church Corporate Center, and the penny plane took flight to its present location. 

The plane itself is in great shape, though after a decade is understandably missing a few pennies. If you look closely, you will see that the pennies covering most of the plane are glued with Lincoln’s head showing, but those on the rear stabilizers—the tail end of the plane—are tails up.

If you’re up for a challenge, try to find the six United Kingdom pennies intermixed among the Lincoln cents, sporting three different images of Queen Elizabeth II. Another challenge, not for the impatient, is to find the oldest penny on the statue.

Related Tags

Airplanes Aircraft Money Art Statues Public Art

Know Before You Go

The plane is located between two tall office buildings, one of which is the BB&T building. The parking on site is marked as private, so it is best to park at the New Grand Mart international grocery store next door. The plane is in the open area between the buildings and is very easy to spot.

Community Contributors

Added By

croxrd13

Edited By

Jason Michael Walker

  • Jason Michael Walker

Published

December 31, 2019

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  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/its-a-penny-its-a-plane-its-a-quirky-sculpture-behind-a-virginia-office-building/2018/03/10/8e702820-230b-11e8-86f6-54bfff693d2b_story.html
  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/60805
'Pennies from Heaven'
6400 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, Virginia, 22042
United States
38.873135, -77.159713
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Brandymore Castle

Arlington, Virginia

miles away

Henderson House

Falls Church, Virginia

miles away

Tinner Hill Historic Site

Falls Church, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Falls Church

Falls Church

Virginia

Places 6

Nearby Places

Brandymore Castle

Arlington, Virginia

miles away

Henderson House

Falls Church, Virginia

miles away

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Falls Church, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Falls Church

Falls Church

Virginia

Places 6

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