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 Replies: 52 / Views: 2,792 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1108 Posts |
Yesterday, at Kroger, there was a sign asking people paying by cash to please use exact change.  This is the only place I have seen this so far, and only this location. Are businesses really at this point already? I know there are signs all over pointing to the demise of cents from circulation, which I am sad to see go given how much fun I've had hunting through cent rolls this year. My credit union has been having some trouble getting them in at certain locations. I normally just stop in and ask if they have any cent rolls. This was the case with two of the branches near me, and they didn't anticipate it getting any easier any time soon. I suppose I should check and see what some of the further out branches have available, if any. My current credit union, Michigan Schools & Government credit union, in Southeast Michigan, has more branches/locations than I can count. I'm willing to bet that at least one of them potentially has some cent rolls, even if a few, on hand. I also wonder what kind of situation I would be in if I asked them to order me some boxes of cent rolls, or if it's something they would even be able to fulfill/willing to do. I am certainly glad I completed the majority of my Lincoln Cent collection when I did! From a collector's standpoint for me personally, it's sad to see this happen. However, from a practical standpoint, I get it that the cent isn't cost effective. I am happy that they will at least still be available to purchase in UNC and proof sets for people who want them. Edited by Humanist1287
10/27/2025 05:34 am
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Moderator
 United States
94728 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
187582 Posts |
Penny shortages on the one hand, banks not taking them in because "they do not have space for them" on the other. The left hand is not knowing what the right hand does. Our leaders are incompetent.  |
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Valued Member
United States
450 Posts |
With all of the digital payment options out there, there are lower amounts of all denominations in my neck of the woods.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10475 Posts |
With over 450 BILLION cents minted since 1909 where did they all of a sudden go to for there to be a shortage? Are financial institutions using this as an excuse to stop having to deal with them? No more having to order boxes then carry them heavy things around just to have to take them back in then and mess with them even more? I feel their pain -  |
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Valued Member
United States
233 Posts |
I stopped at a Burger King last night and they had a sign about rounding to the nearest nickel, unless you pay by card, then they charge you the correct amount. My total was $5.98. Gave them a $10 bill and got $4.02 back!?! I thought they had no pennies?
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Moderator
United States
94728 Posts |
I think that ALL registers should get a mandatory software upgrade that will automatically round purchases to the nearest nickel (after tax is applied). that way all transactions would process seamlessly. Most folks would get used to it pretty quickly and the rest would not even notice it at all. 1,2 rounds down to 0 (eg .20, .30) 3,4 rounds up to 5 6,7 rounds down to 5 and 8,9 up to the next 0 With the law of averages, it would probably all work out equally to both sellers and consumers. Quote:
The law of averages is a belief that the relative frequency of an event should agree with the probability of the event. This is often applied in the short term, with the expectation that the distribution of events is balanced according to the probability distribution (50/50 for example). |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5238 Posts |
US members, you will soon get used to not having one cent coins. Take this advice from a Canadian, as they have been gone now for 13 years. It's OK to cry a bit, but with 450 billion minted they aren't going to disappear anytime soon, especially as no plans have been made to withdraw them and reprocess the metal. I suspect that might happen after a few years of no minting, but that is enough time to build up your personal hoard.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5029 Posts |
Several of my local banks this week will no longer sell boxes of cents to customers and are limiting the quantity a business can purchase.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7273 Posts |
The zincolns were terrible. Good riddance!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1060 Posts |
It's sad for me on a personal level since Lincoln cents along with the big Ike or Eisenhower dollars are primarily what sparked my interest in numismatics. Finding wheat cents and Eisenhower dollars in pocket change as a child back in the 1970's. Taping them, yes I said taping them, to sheets of paper with the dates written underneath because I was too young to know there was a thing called coin folders yet lol &  Asking relative's about their pocket change, surely they thought I was weird. And going to the store with a dollar or two and asking the clerk if he could change it for penny rolls to search through for wheats, or Eisenhower dollar coins is a fond memory. Pennies, both US and foreign, became my focal point as an adult collector and make up over 70% of my collection today. I feel for the hobby because I think it will reduce the number of young numismatists entering the hobby. Farewell to the penny. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3207 Posts |
nickels are the new pennies
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1108 Posts |
Quote:It's sad for me on a personal level since Lincoln cents along with the big Ike or Eisenhower dollars are primarily what sparked my interest in numismatics. Pennies, both US and foreign, became my focal point as an adult collector and make up over 70% of my collection today. I feel for the hobby because I think it will reduce the number of young numismatists entering the hobby. Farewell to the penny. Yes, my favorite coin and area of coin collecting so far has been Lincoln cents, particularly Wheat cents. I have two sets of Dansco Lincoln Cent albums, and a set of Canadian small cents that I built while searching through cent rolls for my Lincoln Cent set. This is what majorly bums me out about the decline of the cent. Luckily, most of my collection has been completed and the ones that I don't have are ones that I wouldn't be finding in circulation anyways. It is definitely a good way for collectors to enter the hobby. If someone were to ask me about trying to start a coin collection entirely on a budget by year and mint mark set, I would (at least before the decline of the cent) recommend them to roll search through Memorial cents/cents, Jefferson nickels and various quarters. |
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Moderator
United States
187582 Posts |
Quote:
With over 450 BILLION cents minted since 1909 where did they all of a sudden go to for there to be a shortage? They are in our albums! They are in our hoards! They are in our couches! They are in our landfills! They are hidden inside a quantum unfolding chamber! |
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Moderator
United States
187582 Posts |
Quote:
I stopped at a Burger King last night and they had a sign about rounding to the nearest nickel, unless you pay by card, then they charge you the correct amount. My total was $5.98. Gave them a $10 bill and got $4.02 back!?! I thought they had no pennies? The sign was posted per-maturely or someone before you paid in exact change.  |
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Moderator
United States
187582 Posts |
Quote:
I think that ALL registers should get a mandatory software upgrade that will automatically round purchases to the nearest nickel (after tax is applied). Not necessary and a needless expense when you can get your $7.25/hr worker ($15 if you live somewhere that kept up with inflation) to do it on the fly. And if they mess up, Karen will correct them.  |
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Replies: 52 / Views: 2,792 |
Posted 10/27/2025 05:30 am
