> > ...Bell Atlantic sent him a check for twenty cents.
>
> I just got an interest check for 21 cents from Edward Jones.

Ok, as long as we're telling small check stories, I have everyone beat. At the end of some year in college, the last phone bill I paid before leaving I apparently overpaid by one penny. Normally, the credit would just carry over to the next bill, but because I was shutting off the phone service just afterward, I guess the phone company felt obligated to send me a check for the extra penny.

It's interesting the psychological effect a check has. You get a check for a good amount of money, and it's something you do not hold lightly. It "feels" like something important. You take care not to lose it, and it's a good thing once it's been deposited. The greater the amount, the greater this sense, but even a small amount can command respect.

The penny check felt like scrap paper.

But, hey, if it's worth picking a penny off the ground, it's worth cashing a check for a penny, although it certainly wasn't worth a dedicated trip to the bank.