Should the US Change Metal Coins? (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: It may be time for the United States to rethink how the smallest parts of its monetary system — the penny, nickel and dime – are made. According to a report this week from watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office, since 2006 the prices of metals used in coins have risen so much that the total production unit costs of the penny and nickel exceed their face value resulting in financial losses to the U.S. Mint.

Comments

Re:Penny

[meerling]

Well technically, the USA doesn't have a penny, it's small copper colored coin is named the 'cent'.
So in that aspect, it wouldn't be last. Unless you consider all overpriced virtually worthless coppery coinage 'pennies'.

Re:The real slippery slope

[Rei]

Then people who are scared of the government tracking their every move can barter or use foreign currencies amongst themselves and hide them in their mattresses so that there's no evil bank tracking records, either - while the rest of us get on with our lives in the 21st century.

Re: Penny

[N1AK]

The reason we have the right to wield guns is not to defend ourselves against other people. It is to defend ourselves against the government. If only the government can have weapons, it quickly becomes impossible to fight for other rights being taken from you.

Which is a quaint little notion but absolute bollocks in reality. Exactly how fucked up do you think your country is that it is only the prevalence of private firearms that stops your government taking your rights away; besides which you seem to be losing plenty of rights and you sure as hell have plenty of firearms so why isn't it working?

If the government had the full and absolute support of the military then even if it did something sufficient to bring about an armed uprising that armed uprising will be entirely outmatched by the military. If the government doesn't have the support of the military then you don't need an armed rebellion because without the support of the military the government can't resist an unarmed rebellion.

If stopping the government having military power over the people was a priority you'd have to vastly decrease the size of the military and vastly expand the range of weapons that citizens could own (to include weapons like fighter jets, anti-aircraft missiles etc), letting people dick around with assault rifles for a hobby isn't going to cut it.