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 Replies: 177 / Views: 17,841 |
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Valued Member
United States
218 Posts |
My take: this is overdue given what a waste of money and resources making pennies is. Even homeless people on the street don't want them where I live - literally, as they've outright given me piles of pennies on multiple occasions. But bittersweet for my interests as a collector. Quote:
The old vending machine problems argument is long dead. They now have card scanners and all prices are in 25 cent increments. They will only accept & dispense dollar coins and quarters in the ones I've seen in the past few years. Every day at work, I buy a 30-cent soda from a vending machine that takes only coins. |
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Moderator
 United States
188213 Posts |
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But the issue I have with removing the penny... is that this will limit entry to who can afford to collect coins. I'm talking about the newest, youngest, least likely to have disposable income cohort. I disagree. When spending power is considered, it was more expensive for me to keep pennies than it is for the kids to keep dimes today. Give the dime some love! You can still build a clad set from circulation and roll hunting; a 60 year run! That is like me collecting cents from 1918 to date when I first started.  |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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Just semantics- but the United States of America has never minted a "Penny" coin Then they have never minted a nickel, either.  |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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If the cent is ended. How many years before we no longer see them in circulation? Any guesses? Put me down for "Less than one."  |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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Don't underestimate the rise of bartering in the not-to-distant future... If I had a penny for every time you brought up bartering in these topics, I would have at least three rolls of them.   |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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Plated steel nickels are the quickest and best option for now. I agree. But I feel like they will end up using all that zinc no longer going into the pennies.  |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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Ideally they'd switch the nickel to aluminum and then after retrieving all the cents and old nickels from circulation they'd shrink the nickel to a little bigger than the current cent and retrieve the older aluminum nickels. It could all be done in four years and it would almost pay for itself while the savings begin immediately. Interesting proposal.  Quote:
However long it takes to cut the value of the dollar in half again then just remove the nickels and dimes so the quarter is the smallest coin. We are not that smart. |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
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The old vending machine problems argument is long dead. They now have card scanners and all prices are in 25 cent increments. They will only accept & dispense dollar coins and quarters in the ones I've seen in the past few years. I agree. It has been years since I have seen a vending machine that will accept anything below a quarter. More and more they have become cashless. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
I'd like to see the dies changed for the final 500 or so million pennies to add a "talking bubble" in front of Lincoln that says "Bye, bye!" or "Thanks for the memories" or some such sign off. Maybe that would even make for good contest fodder: "What should Abe's last words be...?"
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
Oh my!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
Cents will be around, just in smaller amounts until the US Mint starts an alloy recovery program.
They will still be legal tender, so probably will be in groups of 5 under rounding.
We have a window to save the coppers from destruction, boys. Let's just leave them with Zincolns for eventual ARP'ing.
As far as the 5 cent piece, I'm expecting either an plated steel or aluminum coin in 2028 or so.
Edited by DoubleEagle20
05/25/2025 5:36 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2200 Posts |
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I'm assuming 2026 will be the last year for the penny We don't know that yet. All we know is that the mint has stopped ordering blanks for 2025. To properly discontinue the penny, Congress must act to do so. [Insert snide remark of your choice about Congressional efficiency] Edited by jpsned
05/25/2025 5:27 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
Last I saw of the bill, jpsned, it didn't contain any wording for demonetization or active withdraw of cents.
Actually I think the bill would do the job well enough for now. Leave Zincolns in circulation for 5-10 years and use them in groups of 5 under rounding. It would take pressure off from 5 cent piece production until its composition change.
Edited by DoubleEagle20
05/25/2025 5:35 pm
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Moderator
United States
95629 Posts |
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What should Abe's last words be...? "Ouch! I just got a huge headache!"  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
634 Posts |
There are businesses that already do not give one cent coins in change.
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Replies: 177 / Views: 17,841 |
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Posted 05/25/2025 12:43 pm
