O O O
   O O O

Nearby pennies are touching. By the fewest number of legal moves, transform the pattern into the pattern

O O O O O O

consecutive pennies touching. A legal move consists of sliding a penny, not picking up a penny, without disturbing the other pennies, to a new position touching at least two pennies. (You might want to look up Moving Quarters for a similar problem with the same rules.)

Pen and paper solution

X denotes places with no penny

..O..O..O
O..O..O

1
..O..O..O
O..x..O..O

2
..O..O..O..O
O..x..x..O

3
..O..x..O..O
O..x..x..O..O

4
..O..x..x..O..O
O..x..x..O..O

5
..O..X..X..X..O
O..X..X..O..O..O

6
..O
O..O..X..O..O..O

7
O..O..O..O..O..O