Penny Coin Is Worthless... ?

Nickel plated copper would be a better interim solution. Nickel plated zince would be too light and would still require re-calibration of every vending machine out there. A nickel plated copper coin would weigh almost exactly the same as the current coin, would be cheaper to produce, and would probably work in most machines without re-calibration. It would still be just a temporary solution though.



Not really, the "community" isn't receiving large contributions of cash from the zinc industry that the members of Congress get for their re-elections, and some of the Congress members are constantly reminded how eliminating the cent would lead to job losses in their districts.

Leave it to congress to come up with self destructing cents and nickels so they don't have to vote to eliminate them.

We do not need Congress to do anything.

We just need the Fed to stop ordering cents and nickels from the Mint and then have them tell the banks they cannot have any more after they run out.

I too find it amazing how this coin of next to no value still lives on, but remember that this isn't endemic to the USA. Plenty of nations still use incledibly lowly valued coins, on the top of my head we've got most countries in the Eurozone, 1 Cent (US 1.2#572;) (exceptions Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium (also Ireland and Italy now/soon)), Mexico 10 Centavos (0.56#572;), UK 1 Penny (1.3#572;), Poland 1 Grosz (0.27#572;), Croatia 5 Lipa (0.79#572;), Russia 10 Kopeyek (0.17#572;), Philippines 5 Sentimo (0.1#572;) Ukraine 1 Kopinka (0.04#572;) and Japan 1 Yen (0.9#572;). Many of these are from my understanding in the same position as in the US - lowly used and some on the verge of removal (the Russian 10 k. coin hasn't been minted since 2015, right?) Nonetheless, most are still being minted and circulated. Despite actual buying power being different in these countries, the costs of producing these and in particular material costs should be more in-line.

Many people here in Sweden do consider having such a low-denomination coin almost archaic, thinking back when we had something similar. Most are just annoyed when in the Eurozone and have to deal with these small coins. Since our lowest (also Norway's lowest, may I add) coin equates to about 10-15 US cents, we don't really have any extremes. When (some) people travel to Denmark they get shocked that they still use 50 Øre coins (5 Cents, effectively) that Sweden ridded themselves of in 2010.

Having grown used to coins-actually-worth-something, I got mostly annoyed with getting the 1p's and 2p's in the UK, since these really amplify the worthlessness of the denominations by having greatly increased sizes. The Eurozone does that better. The Penny is about the size of a US nickel and the Twopenny larger than that of a quarter, worth effectively Two Cents. If you need shock therapy, go there! (the rest of the coinage is really nice though )

I honestly don't get why nothing is being done about phasing out the US 1c. Apart from public demand (of removing the coin), the "dangerously powerful" zinc lobby doesn't care too much as it much more business elsewhere, environmentalists only see downsides with the current composition, actual costs for the consumer will decrease with rounding, if not for "Swedish rounding" (seriously, look it up!), the remendous extra costs, both intrisically being lost in production but handling aswell, Lincoln's face is already on a note and pockets will be lighter.

The only thing I can think of is indeed pride, fear of change and denial, all generally. Too proud to give it up, giving it up might mean losing faith in the economy and that it wouldn't be so much worse if we just left it like it is. It's just that awareness has been very high for long and the effectes have been studied, yet nothing's happening.

If it is pride, it is false pride. Fear? Fear of change? If it is fear, it means they don't know what will happen after the change. It is the fear of not knowing what to do. Talk is easy. People here or there with no responsibility can talk easy, can easily say "lets phase the cent out." When they take the responsibility, for example in the mint, doing "it" isn't so easy. However, it is not in their responsibility of the mint people, it is in their responsibility of the Congress people and I do not think that they have ever thought about the cent that they don't care. Even if some of them have thought some, they do not know what to do. This is why they fear, not knowing what to do, not knowing what'll happen next after a change. What the US (also Germany) are doing is "flooding" the cents, US 1c and Euro 1c, respectively, that can also be called "over-engineering". The other countries with no 1c (or equivalents such as 1kopek) are doing "under-engineering". As a conclusion, no any country in the World knows what to do with the 1c or equivalents. (those friends from planet x of galaxy y must be Rofl'ing at us the earth planet people.)

On top of this forum, there is this "What's in your pocket?"
I'll ask specifically, "Is there a one cent coin in your pocket?"
I guess, almost everybody's answer is No.

Now I understand why the hobby is in decline. It started when we got rid of the Half Cent.