Hidden Energy Inside Your Pocket ChangeTess Pennington Batteries were previously known as voltaic piles. When Alessandro Volta discovered the first electric battery in 1800, he made a giant stack of alternating layers of zinc, blotting paper soaked in salt water, and silver to create a charge. This wet cell battery creates energy because the redox reaction between the copper and zinc metals allow electrons to flow and each cell provides around 0.6 volts of electric potential. You can make a simple battery similar to Voltas using the humble penny. Coins can be converted into makeshift batteries that can drive up to 0.8 volts. Since the battery is a wet cell, the effectiveness will be reduced when the electrolyte evaporates. That said, this can produce more than enough current to provide power to small current devices and many of these penny batteries can be stacked together to produce higher voltages. Heres what you need to get started: LEGALITIES: Some people have asked about the legality of treating pennies in this manner. The federal law states that there are exceptions made for use as educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment make it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins. Delivered by The Daily Sheeple.Contributed by Tess Pennington of Ready Nutrition. Tess Pennington is the author of The Preppers Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. When a catastrophic collapse cripples society, grocery store shelves will empty within days. But if you follow this books plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years. 