GUESS HOW MUCH MONEY PHIL PICKS UP OFF THE ROAD, AND YOU COULD WIN BIG* MONEY!

You wouldn’t believe how much money Americans throw away. I don’t mean on space-based missile defence systems and long weekends in Vegas – I mean reaching into their pockets, pulling out handfuls of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, winding down their car windows and flinging them to the four winds.

Every time I walk past one of these lowly items of unwanted coinage on the road, I pick it up and put it in my back pocket. It’s turning into quite a tidy little stash – there’s even been a couple of small-denomination notes.

I have no idea why anyone should want to jettison their hard-earned coinage in this fashion. But their loss is my gain. I keep a careful record of every penny that goes into my pocket, and I’m running a sweepstake: how much will I pick up on my 3,000-mile journey?

Just enter your details and your guess below (just a number, without the dollar sign please), and the person who comes closest gets all the money. There’s no strings attached – I’m just feeling generous.

*This word does not apply in this sentence