
Did you catch the recent news story that the U.S. Mint won’t be making anymore pennies. Why? Well the story explains that it costs $3.69 to make a single penny, that’s why. But shed no tears yet, there are still an estimated 300 billion pennies remaining in circulation and they are still legal tender.
But consider some oft-quoted expressions that soon will fade:
- A penny for your thoughts
- Cost a pretty penny
- A penny saved is a penny earned
- Find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.
- No more “pinching pennies”
- Worth every penny
- I’ll give you my 2-cents worth
- Penny-wise and pound-foolish
- He’s a 2-bit criminal
What about my favorite penny, the 1943 zinc coated steel penny…… so made to save copper for the wartime effort:

Introducing myself, I often say “I was born the year of the Black Penny….who knows what that is?” And most do not. When I was about eight years old, I collected a pint jar of black pennies…..wish I still had them today.
Regarding “He’s a 2-bit criminal’ my dad (born 1921) always said that ‘two bits’ referred to a quarter, not two pennies.