Pennies

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REGARDLESS of what it says on the reverse, they are what we say they are.

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Nope, just because you call them pennies certainly doesn't make them pennies. By all means let's keep teaching everybody wrong in an effort to make it right. Makes no sense.

There are millions of people that call Japanese cars rice-burners, doesn't make them rice-burners, even a little bit.

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When I was a kid I couldn't say AIN'T but now it's in the dictionary.

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Let's examine this analogy closely shall we?

The first sentence in Mirriam-Webster's dictionary is "Although widely disapproved as nonstandard and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated". So, in my opinion, your parents were 100% correct in trying to make you stop saying it, and there are still no US pennies.

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REGARDLESS of what it says on the reverse, they are what we say they are.

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Great! Can I buy a bunch of coins from you? I'll call mine double eagles.

Atlas,
That's a very debatable question. Here's what I've found on it:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/uscfraud.html
http://www.lawforkids.org/speakup/v...n.cfm?id=407
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2002/01/18money.html

Posted - Yesterday : 12:53:29 PM

Nope, just because you call them pennies certainly doesn't make them pennies. By all means let's keep teaching everybody wrong in an effort to make it right. Makes no sense.
There are millions of people that call Japanese cars rice-burners, doesn't make them rice-burners, even a little bit.


Sorry to bring up a subject so dear to your hart but like I said this is America and we all speak the way we want. I would venture to guess well over 80% or more of this country calles those things PENNIES. Movies, songs, aticles in newspapers, on TV, they are referred to as PENNIES. Our language is made up of many, many terms and names that are adopted from other countries and/or communities. Some continue as they are, some become modified, others are eventually dropped. Kids usually have their own language. Ever watch TV. I know my kids have their own. Again, regardless of what a few may think and possibly be correct, it is usually way to late to change the majority. Many may stick to Cents but the majority of everyone I know calls them PENNIES.
Not sure where the term Rice-Burners was ever used for any car though. I AIN'T never heard that before. First time I ever heard it was just now. Odd since I go to about a car show a week around here. Have been for well over 30 years.
Oh well, back to counting my PENNIES.

Carl, you may certainly call them what you want, but it is my hope that the majority of members here will teach YN's the correct term and not listen to you. Sorry, they are not pennies no matter how you try to justify the ignorance of most of the public.

Yes I am aware that kids sometimes have their own language. I am happy to say that mine probably will not speak the same as yours. I am not a sheep and never will be.

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Movies, songs, articles in newspapers, on TV,

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I sincerely hope you're kidding trying to use them as examples to impress me. 95% of those are written to to sell something, certainly not teach.

You're right though, you've hit on something near and dear to my heart, and it certainly isn't calling cents pennies. It's teaching right from wrong.

The US Mint calls them a "Penny" as well..

http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs...on=CircPenny

There are also at least 1700 references to Penny on the offical mint site: http://www.google.com/search?source...e:usmint.gov

They do, of course, call it cent more often, and many times say "cent (penny)"...

It really does not matter what is printed in the news papers ,websites and other media or for that matter what the norm or slang is ,,the english language is such that many things are distorted by improper usage of terminology and slang.

what matters numismatically is what is printed on the coin ,,we would not call the centavo a penny or a cent because well that just would not be right ,, we don't call our Dollar a peso or a pound ,,why not ?

Its really quite simple ,the US mints Cents and that is what we should call them ,is it world shattering if we don't ? no not really! is it correct and right if we don't? It absolutely is not right and no amount of evidence outside of numismatics can change that .

The mint is a poor example of what is numismatically correct ,,they are not numismatists nor collectors and they have little interest in teaching the collectors ,,they leave that type of thing up to forums like ours !

Metalman

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this is America and we all speak the way we want. I would venture to guess well over 80% or more of this country calls those things PENNIES. Movies, songs, articles in newspapers, on TV, they are referred to as PENNIES.

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And to bring up the same argument your mother probably did when you were little, "And if everyone else jumped off the bridge that doesn't mean you have to."

I'm sorry but I feel that proper terminology is important because it reduces confusion and misunderstandings. It is Doubled die, not double die, or double strike, or shift strike. It is an incomplete planchet not a clipped planchet. Clashmarks not suction marks (archaic term used to the mid 1960's.) A repunched date and an overdate are not the same thing. The US mint strikes Cents not pennies. And so on. If you allow sloppy language in one case how can you complain if it is used in other places.

I realize that most of us grew up using the same sloppy language, but that doesn't mean that we must continue to do so. And the best way to teach the next generation to not do the same is to provide a good example and use the proper language ourselves.