The coppery lifeblood of the organism known as the economy, pennies are more than just the most useful basic element of currency—they're also associated with good luck. Consult the following guide to prepare yourself for chance encounters with the world's most valuable coin:

• In the United States, pennies bear the image of Abraham Lincoln, America's luckiest president.

• Upside-down pennies, or "tailsies," are actually bad luck. Rather than picking them up, mash them down safely with your heel and wait there until a police officer arrives to relieve you.

• To test if a penny is truly lucky, place it on a railroad track. If the oncoming train gingerly slows to a halt and a suspiciously Santa Claus–esque conductor leans out and asks if you're ready for the adventure of a lifetime, the penny was, indeed, charmed. Don't wait too near, however, as trains that do not stop may cause severe skeletal displacement.

• Collecting roughly 90 pennies will allow you to exchange them at the bank for less lucky but safer-to-eat coins made of chocolate or pressed alfalfa.

• Throwing a penny into a fountain will allow you to make a wish—since this wish is guaranteed to come true, make sure to ask for something you truly desire, such as a replacement penny or a book about which famous dinosaurs have feathers.