To Pinch, or Not to Pinch?

While we all laughed as Kevin Federline got all huffy about the possibility of the penny being pulled, the reality is that our little copper friend doesn't get the respect he used to. Somewhere between the disappearance of penny candy and the downfall of the penny carnival, we all have become less inclined to care for common cents. I myself have always been one to "see a penny, pick it up", though the luck has not always necessarily followed. I personally like to believe the "Pennies from Heaven" mythology, where for every time you find a penny on the ground, it means that someone in heaven is thinking of you. For more pensiveness on pennies, read Laura Rowley's Some Thoughts for Your Pennies.

A penny saved is a...nickel earned?

While Kevin Federline attempts to save the penny by proving that uselessness knows the value of other useless things, it seems that Fed-Ex may indeed have a bright idea, as with the recent rise in the price of copper and an anticipated coin shortage due to people hoarding and melting them down, could turn the one cent piece into a 5 cent piece. By "rebasing" the penny and making it the same value as a nickel, the coin shortage problem could potentially be circumvented. Read more about it here.

Save your pennies! (Just don't melt them down)

The U.S. Mint has just placed a ban on melting down 1 and 5 cent coins as they have received inquiries recently as to whether or not the practice is legal. Apparently your pennies and nickels are worth more melted down than they are in their coin form face values. The new ban carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison with up to a $10,000 fine. You can read more about the ban here.