Pennies are destroying Benjamin Franklin's grave

It has long been a tradition to cast a penny onto the Philadelphia grave of Benjamin Franklin who once said, "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Now, the church in charge of the site's upkeep is asking for more pennies.

The Christ Church Preservation Trust has launched a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising $10,000 to repair a large crack that currently mar the marble grave ledger tablet.

The damage isn't all due to the coins. Centuries of weather have played a role as well.

According to WPVI, the trust has already pulled together an impressive $66,000, but that is still a bit shy of the $76,000 restoration cost.

It would like to have the slab fixed in time for the April anniversary of Franklin's passing.

At this time, there are no plans to put an end to the penny-throwing custom.