Lucas: Trying to make cents of the penny’s demise
Once a beloved symbol of American currency, the penny has fallen from grace, now seen more as a nuisance than a valuable coin. The production of a single penny costs the U.S. government nearly four cents, prompting former President Donald Trump to propose its discontinuation. This decision has sparked a lively debate about the future of not just the penny, but potentially other coins like the nickel, dime, and quarter, which are also more expensive to mint than their face value. For instance, it costs 14 cents to create a nickel, six cents for a dime, and a staggering 15 cents for a quarter. Trump’s move to phase out the penny was made without significant opposition from Democratic leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer, who could have rallied support but instead focused on other issues.
The article humorously suggests that Schumer’s potential resistance to Trump’s penny abolition could have been framed as a noble fight for a coin that represents American heritage. It alludes to a fictional scenario where Trump might replace Abraham Lincoln’s image on the penny with his own, which Schumer would vehemently oppose, although such plans were never actually proposed. The author reflects on the cultural significance of the penny, noting that it has been a part of American life since 1793 and has survived various challenges, including wartime restrictions on its materials. The piece concludes by emphasizing that despite its impending discontinuation, the penny will remain in circulation for the foreseeable future, a testament to the resilience of both the coin and the American spirit.
In a broader context, the debate over the penny illustrates a larger conversation about the relevance and practicality of certain aspects of currency in an increasingly cashless society. While the penny may seem insignificant, it evokes nostalgia and represents a piece of American history that many people still cherish. As the U.S. Mint halts production of new pennies, the implications of this decision extend beyond mere economics, touching on themes of tradition, value, and the evolving nature of currency in the modern world.
Once a proud coin of the realm, the penny has become a pest. It gets no respect.
And the penny is not even worth one cent anymore. It costs the government nearly four cents to mint one penny.
No wonder President Donald Trump ordered its demise. So in the future, every time it rains it won’t rain “Pennies from Heaven.”
Speaking about loose change, the nickel, dime and quarter will be next on the hit list before you know it. It costs 14 cents, or 14 pennies, to make a nickel, six cents to make a dime, and 15 cents to make a quarter.
And Trump did the penny pinching without Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats fighting to save the penny by shutting the government down over it. He did it without even offering Schumer a penny for his thoughts.
Realistically, “Shutdown Schumer” would have been better off had he shut down the government to save the penny.
“In for penny, in for a pound,” a fighting Schumer could have said. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned.
But when he learned that Trump secretly planned to replace Abraham Lincoln on the face of the penny with his own image, he balked. It was a bad penny of an idea after all.
Unnamed and nonexistent sources said Schumer called it a “penny-ante” kind of a deal in the first place.
Of course, Trump had no such plans to replace Lincoln on the penny. But whatever Trump planned the Democrats would have attacked him on it anyway. Trump may not like pennies, but he likes Lincoln.
Besides, my imaginary White House sources say that Trump, after shooting down idea of replacing President John F. Kennedy on the old half-dollar coin, is planning to replace George Washington on the $1 bill.
Under his picture it will read, “IN TRUMP WE TRUST.”
He plans to do that at the opening ceremony of the new Trump Ballroom he is building at the East Wing of the White House, which has cost a pretty penny even if the money to pay for it came from private sources and not taxpayers.
Still, challenging Trump over the abolition of the penny is something that people could have related to. Everybody has pennies, whether they want to get rid of them or not. Pennies are everywhere.
Which is why — putting my two cents in — at Market Basket I always say “Close enough” to the change, including pennies, the part-time high school cashiers — having difficulty making change — give me back.
And it would have been a better way to challenge Trump rather than shut down the government and institute payless paydays for the military, air traffic controllers and government workers, while threatening needy people to go without food.
It was a Schumer Shutdown over nothing.
In the event you have not been watching every penny, Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop making new pennies in February. Last week the U.S. Mint ended their production.
The Mint has been producing them since 1793. Lincoln’s image was put on the penny in 1909.
While no new pennies will be manufactured, there are billions of them in circulation and they will be around for a while, like many other government programs.
Pennies, like the American people, are rugged survivors. During World War II, for instance, pennies were zinc-coated to save copper for the war effort. But they bounced back after we won the war.
We have lived with pennies all our lives. Pennies are American history.
And they will still be around, outlasting people, politicians, popes, pundits, poets, paupers and presidents.
Save the cent.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas can be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
