M&I Bank, formerly known in St. Louis as Southwest Bank, the first sponsor to participate in the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation’s penny drive, collecting pennies at all 17 St. Louis area branches to fund a sculpture of Dred Scott, whose suit for freedom from slavery went to the U.S. Supreme after starting in St. Louis in 1847. M&I Bank also donated $2,000 to the sculpture project.
The idea to host a penny drive came from Dred Scott’s own gravesite, where visitors often leave pennies on the headstone. Many believe the pennies are left as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, who was responsible for the abolition of slavery.