Is it time for the US to phase out the penny? Canada is.

[Electric Monk]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_debate_in_the_United_States

http://www.retirethepenny.org/

http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/i/penny_debate.htm

LBN: (Canadian) Federal budget kills the penny
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101485750

[onenote]

1. A conundrum: we don't like change in the US but we like change

That suggests that we're not likely to be changing the status quo by getting rid of some of our change.

[safeinOhio]

2. I hate making change with them.

I hate carrying them around in my pocket.
I hate bending over to pick them up, but I can't help myself.

[KamaAina]

3. Croak the dollar bill while we're at it

Again, Canadians have, with the "loonie" and even the "toonie" (Cdn$2) coins.

[GopperStopper2680]

4. Yeah, phase it out...

That way if somebody owes me seven cent back on a purchase they can just default to giving me a dime...

[Electric Monk]

5. Rounded off to the nearest nickel, they'd only owe you a nickel back.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Introduce a 2-cent piece --

10% larger in diameter, same thickness, takes 20% more material for twice the face vaule.

I don't think people are ready to round to the nearest nickel at the 7-11, but rounding to the nearest even number would be pretty painless.

[Speck Tater]

7. Without my jar half full of pennies how would I save for a rainy day? nt

[surrealAmerican]

8. If it were strictly a rational decision, ...

... that time probably passed twenty years ago. It's now time to phase out the nickel, and make one, five, and ten dollar denominations into coins - not paper.

Since it's an emotional decision, I don't expect to see any of this happen.

[cbayer]

9. I drove across Canada six years ago and pretty much every merchant rounded

to the nickel, including when giving you your change.

I think if more US merchants started doing this, we would make the first step towards elimination of the dreaded penny.