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Economy

RazorbackExpat

(723 posts)

3. I remember a "penny shortage" of the 1980s

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Oct 31, 2025, 08:07 AM

Friday

Banks were paying a premium for pennies, even though the Mint was making billions of them each year. I think maybe that was because people started hoarding the pre-1982 bronze pennies after the Mint switched to copper-plated zinc in 1982

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Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US Mint stops making them [View all] Eugene Thursday OP

Need to start minting a 2-cent coin. Between a cent and a dime in size, it would take less material ... eppur_se_muova Thursday #1

Price everything in nickels you have the same granularity as 1975 when the penny had a 2025 nickel's value Blues Heron Thursday #2

Good point. Actually, a penny then bought what takes 5.9 pennies now progree Friday #4

I remember a "penny shortage" of the 1980s RazorbackExpat Friday #3