Edward Piercy

Bright Shiny Penny

Monday, January 25, 2010 9:17:13 PM

You know all too often things just fly beneath my radar completely.
The other day I took some loose change out of my pocket and started
counting it. As usual, I separated out the pennies first. As I did so
I noticed one penny that was a lot shinier than the rest.

I took the penny and looked at it. On the face it was a normal penny
with the face of Abraham Lincoln on it. But then I turned it over. On
the reverse side was a relief of Lincoln sitting on a log in the woods
reading a book. Surprised, I turned the coin around again and looked
at the issue date. The coin was issued in 2009. Which meant that the
penny, terminus post quem, had been minted within about the
last year. Which was at least one reason for its shiny appearance.

So I got curious and did some research. As it turned out there were not
1 but 4 new types of pennies minted in 2009. And evidently there is
another one due to be issued February 2010.

Lincoln's head is still on the front of each coin, but the backs show a
representation of the various phases of our great President's life. Here's
the breakdown:

Birth and early childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816) -- (2009)

Formative years in Indiana (1816-1830) -- (2009)

Professional Life in Illinois (1830-1861) -- (2009)

Presidency in Washington, DC (1861-1865) -- (2009)

Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America -- (February 11,
2010)

I particularly like the presidency in Washington one, which shows the
U.S. Capitol dome still under construction as it was when Lincoln first
arrived in Washington.

There's been a lot of talk over the years about getting rid of the penny
altogether. But I have always opposed that. For one thing I can't see
how it will make things any simpler given that the nickel will in a sense
merely become the new penny. The only people that would benefit is
retailers, who would then increase costs by at least a nickel instead of
a couple of pennies. I think it also would be a shame that Benjamin
Franklin's old adage "a penny saved is a penny earned" would become
only metaphorical.

So I applaud the new coin. It indicates a re-commitment to the penny,
and that at least for the foreseeable future that the penny will still
be with us.

Viva la penny!

The new penny to be issued February 2010. Be the first person in your neighborhood to own one!

The World According to HitslinkInternet Junk Drawer 11

Comments

L2D2 # Monday, January 25, 2010 9:28:15 PM

Edward, in Florida, I believe it's in Miami, (maybe someone can clarify this) pennies are no longer used. The way it works---if, with tax added, something is 2 cents, like 32cents, you would pay 30, if it was 33 to 35, you would pay 35. I believe there are other cities that have this city ordinance now. Not checked in to it though.

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Monday, January 25, 2010 9:38:16 PM

That's just terrible. I don't want to think about all that rounding off stuff when I go up to the check-out counter. This whole thing about no pennies is just pandering to the retailers IMO. Or maybe they aren't hiring kids smart enough to deal with "all that currency." ????

Thanks for letting me know about that one.

PainterWoman # Monday, January 25, 2010 10:26:11 PM

I sure hope they never get rid of pennies. A few have saved me from running out of gas. Seriously. I'd barely made it to the gas station, had no bills, and did not want to use my credit card. I have space in my car where I throw change. There were only pennies and nickels because I'd already used the dimes and quarters. I managed to gather up five bucks worth of pennies and nickels to get gas. This was during very meager times for me. Things are much better now.

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Monday, January 25, 2010 10:32:45 PM

Great story. You should send that one in to the U.S. Mint.

I've used them in a similar way. In fact that's what I was doing counting my change the other day -- I only had $0.19 cents in the bank and was trying to scrape up enough money for a 2-liter cola.

Darkogdare # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:20:13 PM

Our currency, a dinar, is consisted of 100 para but they are no longer used. We had coins of 10 and 50 para (as far as I remember) but they revoked them few years ago. Inflation "ate" them

Pam, five dollars in pennies and nickels didn`t make that man on gas station too happy, I guess

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:32:00 PM

So Darko, Serbia does not have any coins at all then?

PainterWoman # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:33:57 PM

Originally posted by gdare:

five dollars in pennies and nickels didn`t make that man on gas station too happy,

I don't think he minded. He just picked up the change and put it in the register without even counting it. I guess he trusted me.

But my son had a bad experience trying to pay for something in a convenience store. He started counting out his change on the counter and the guy raised his voice and told him 'forget it and get out'. My son was shocked but the guy was huge so he picked up his change and left. Never went there again.

Stardancer # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:39:33 PM

I have not seen these new pennies yet, Edward. Will keep an eye out for them, though. Would like to keep one of each, just for the history behind them.

I keep a jar in my house in which I regularly dump my loose change. In more prosperous times, that was my Christmas fund. Now, it buys bread, medicine, the occasional soda pop or $1 cheeseburger at McDonald's.

Don't know what I'd do without my pennies.

Darkogdare # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:39:53 PM

Ed, we have 1, 5, 10, 20 dinars in coins, I think we have 50 too but they are very rare

Pam, here people on register would just roll their eyes but would accept payment

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Monday, January 25, 2010 11:47:16 PM

@ Pam.

Luckily the people at my grocery are pretty nice about it. Although the people in line behind me not always are.

@ Star.

There was a guy here last year who took one of big commericial mustard jars in to the change counter machine at my grocery and got over $1000 for them. Me, it would never go that far. At the end of the month it would be gone.

@ Darko.

Would like to see photos of the coins.

Angelikiellinidata # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:46:10 AM

I like pennies ,
I went to the Supermarket and I got a penny in my change which was cut by laser a cross on it! It is my double lucky penny

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:59:32 AM

A laser penny? Whaaaa????

Darkogdare # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:59:36 AM

http://www.nbs.yu/export/internet/english/75/75_1/75_1_2.html

I was wrong, there is no 50 dinars coin

L2D2 # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:03:57 AM

Originally posted by PainterWoman:

I don't think he minded. He just picked up the change and put it in the register without even counting it. I guess he trusted me.

Hate to bust your bubble, but as a cashier at a gas station, my pet hate and dread was to see someone walk in the door with a baggie full of pennies. The cashier has to roll them you see. I refused to take them unrolled. I'd hand them rollers and have them roll them first. Couldn't put them in the register because there was no room. Couldn't drop them in safe because we weren't allowed to drop coins in the safe drop. It's a nightmare when you use a lot of unrolled pennies. We had to count every penny before putting it anywhere. So, unless the particular store doesn't accept rolls of pennies, please keep rollers on hand and roll them before you take them to a poor cashier. Just FYI

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:30:51 AM

@ Darko.

They certainly like putting monasteries on coins, don't they?

I'd like to have one of the Tesla 20 dinar coins.

Darkogdare # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:55:36 PM

Ok, next time I find one you may give me your postal address and I can try to send it to you.

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:58:05 PM

Jut let me know. Wait, give me a minute to look up how much 20 dinars is in USD.

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:59:58 PM

Okay I just looked it up and it's worth about .29 USD. So I guess I could trade you a quarter and four pennies.

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:00:50 PM

And BTW, that would be a good idea to check out the posting thing to see if I can get stuff to you. If I can get a quarter to you, I could get a book.

Darkogdare # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:05:22 PM

I think it will be easier to send a book. Or I can stick a coin inside a book and send it that way. Just one thing: do you know to read Serbian?

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:11:42 PM

Maybe I could get one of these girls to tutor me in Serbo-Croat. Or whatever.

http://my.opera.com/edwardpiercy/homes/files/croatian-models-9.jpg -

Darkogdare # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:13:46 PM

It would be "whatever" I guess. Are you a sharing person? I could use two or three of them, my back is killing me

PainterWoman # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:15:49 PM

You guys! It would be a different kind of translation....

Darkogdare # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:16:53 PM

With bodies like that, they speak all languages

Edward Piercyedwardpiercy # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:19:45 PM