Enough of this chump change: abolish the penny!(Opinion) (Brief Article)

• Author: Safire, William

The time has come to abolish the almost worthless, bothersome, and wasteful penny. Even President Lincoln, who is still honored on the $5 bill, would be ashamed to have his face on this specious specie because you can't buy anything with a penny anymore. Penny candy? Not for sale at the dollar store. Vending machines? Put a penny in and it will sound an alarm. Despite this, the U.S. Mint keeps churning out a billion pennies a month. Where do they go? Two-thirds immediately drop out of circulation, into piggy banks or behind chair cushions. The remaining 300 million or so go toward...