Visit Us: Plaza Herrera, 9th West Street (C. 9a Oeste), Panama City, Panamá Province, Panama
Visit Us: Plaza Herrera, 9th West Street (C. 9a Oeste), Panama City, Panamá Province, Panama
Beneath your feet, a tale unfolds, of copper dreams and hands made bold. Not tiles nor stone, but coins aligned, a floor composed of heart and time.
An obsession worth every penny
All good things have a story behind them. At boutique Hotel Herrera Casco Viejo, even the floors have stories to tell: stories of patience, vision, and a whole lot of pennies.
It all started while searching for the perfect floor. Among countless options, we stumbled upon images of penny floors: intricate mosaics created from real coins. I had never seen anything like it. Their uniqueness and visual texture screamed perfect for Hotel Herrera. I devised a method for laying them efficiently and, with some naivety, thought the hard part was behind me. I had no idea what lay ahead.
The Great Penny Harvest
Both U.S. and Panamanian cents circulate in Panama, but only U.S. pennies would work. It turns out they are slightly different in thickness and composition. And so the great penny search began.
We started at local Chinese-owned corner stores, asking owners to help spread the word. Since counting hundreds of thousands of coins was not feasible, we weighed them for exchange. But still, we did not have enough. Local banks only had shiny new pennies, which lacked the rich color variation and patina we needed. So we began asking every visitor, friend, and family member to bring pennies from the United States. Children’s piggy banks were emptied. Still, it was not enough.
Finally, I made two trips to the United States, returning with 30-pound fanny packs loaded with coins. The TSA had a field day. “What do you have in the bag?” they would ask. “A penny floor project,” I would reply. They shook their heads, not quite grasping the madness… or the magic.
Sorting, Cleaning, and More Sorting
Every penny passed through our hands—again and again. First, we separated Panamanian coins from U.S. ones. Then, by color: deep browns, rich blacks, bright coppers. Older pennies oxidized differently due to their higher copper content, so we set those aside for artistic details like decorative borders.
Then came the cleaning. We tumbled the pennies in industrial alcohol for 6 to 8 hours, then rinsed, dried, and sorted them again. Some were not clean enough and the process had to be repeated. Finally, when a batch was ready, we hand-mixed them for color variation and toned them as if they were tiles. We created patterns with heads up and heads down, wrapped each in plastic, and stacked them like treasure.
Installation: A Labor of Love
Three years and 350,000 pennies later, the moment had arrived.
The floors had to be leveled and drains were prepared. Each “penny tile” was mapped and placed with interlocking precision. Color groupings and clusters were adjusted by hand—often penny by penny—until the balance felt right.
Once laid, the surface received a final alcohol cleaning. From that point on, no bare hand touched the floor again. We carefully applied black grout, cleaned consistently, and kept air purifiers running to prevent dust. Then came the epoxy, locking everything in place with a crystal-clear finish.
A Hidden Treasure
We even added a small adventure for our guests: a few coins placed face-down are hidden in the floors. Those lucky enough to find one win a complimentary dessert from the house. It is remarkable how long guests spend searching for them—and how much joy it brings.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Without hesitation.
