Bruce Wayne may be known for his billions of dollars, but it's a single penny that has been the focal point of Batman's headquarters for decades now. Granted, the penny really ties the Cave together, but where exactly did the enormous coin come from? The answer can be found in the pages of 1947's World's Finest #30, which features a villain that's pretty ridiculous, even by Batman standards.
Most respectable criminals will go after things like jewels, fine art, or stacks of cash. But not Joe Coyne. Joe Coyne was only interested in pennies, and after he loses his job for playing penny gambling games at work, he turns to a life of crime, though his first stick-up doesn’t go too well. He finds the store’s cash register has nothing but (appropriately) a few pennies before he's promptly arrested. He makes an epic vow from his jail cell: “When I get out, I’ll get back at coppers and pennies! I’ll get back at coppers WITH pennies! Every Job I pull will involve pennies! My crime symbol will be pennies!” He’s no longer Joe Coyne. He’s now The Penny Plunderer.
Once free, Coyne forms a penny slot company as a front for his crimes, the first of which is robbing a bank with a gas grenade that's disguised as... a roll of pennies. Next, he steals an antique dealer’s collection of rare penny banks. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson inevitably hear of the news and Robin astutely comments that, “somebody must have pennies on the brain!” Seeing that a priceless one cent stamp is soon to be on exhibition in Gotham (which is apparently front page news), Batman and Robin predict The Penny Plunderer’s next target.
And it's at this penny-themed exhibition where readers first saw the Batcave's now-ubiquitous giant coin. The Plunderer showers the attendees with pennies to distract them as he tries to steal the stamp, but is thwarted when Batman rolls the enormous coin, knocking him over and preventing his escape. The Plunderer finally makes his getaway by knocking out The Dark Knight with... another roll of pennies.
When Batman comes to, he sees Robin has captured a member of the gang who reveals The Plunderer's penny arcade headquarters. Arriving later that night, they find their informant shot dead on the floor. Batman makes it clear he's not going to lose much sleep over the murder: "Tough! But that's always the risk a fellow takes when he turns criminal!" Literally stepping over the body - which now has a penny in its lips, because of course it does - the heroes are ambushed. One of DC's greatest heroes is again knocked out with a roll of pennies, while Robin is incapacitated by slipping on some.
The Penny Plunderer has an appropriately hapless end to his origin story. When Batman tracks him down again, he barricades himself in a room to use a payphone and call his gang. The phone, however, only accepts nickels. Coyne exclaims he's been, "BETRAYED BY PENNIES!" as Batman and Robin burst through the door.
So that's where Batman's giant penny originated from, but the book wasn't done with The Plunderer just yet. The final panel rubs a little salt into the wound, showing a newsie brandishing a copy of The Gotham Gazette, the headline declaring Coyne has been sentenced to death. The panel's caption says, "it is ironical that the end of The Penny Plunderer can be so easily learned by so many for just a few pennies!" And while that's definitely true, talk about kicking a guy while he's down.
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