ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE

Bruce Rideout shows off his two cent check.

By BRIDGET TURCOTTE

LYNN — When the U.S. Department of the Treasury sent Bruce Rideout a check for two cents, he set out to ask his friends for theirs.

“First, they all laugh,” said Rideout, 79. “The second thing is always ‘do you know how much it cost them to send this check?’”

Rideout said he received the check two days ago and has been carrying it around ever since, showing it to just about everyone he has encountered.

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A retiree of the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission and a U.S. Air Force veteran, Rideout said he already received his income tax refund and his monthly pension; both were directly deposited into his checking account. He has not contacted and does not plan to contact the Department of the Treasury or the Department of Veterans Affairs, which was listed on the stub, to ask why he received the money.

“It’s unique,” he said.

So unique, Rideout visited FastFrame in Swampscott’s Vinnin Square to have a custom frame made. He plans to hang the check in his Lakeview Place home, he said. The frame was priced at $82.15.

Bridget Turcotte can be reached at bturcotte@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte