My 3 Cents

I have pennies. Not a whole bunch, I guess. A handful in the bottom of the purses in my closet, a small cup of them in the car, a crock with some on top of my armoire. I pick them up when I see them…good luck.

Today I bought a soda. $.97. I handed the clerk a one dollar bill. He took it, put it in the drawer and slammed it shut. “My change?” He looked at me and said, flatly, “There are no more.” I pulled two cents from my purse and handed them over, he dropped a nickel into my open palm.

He can’t have my change. I didn’t agree to that. I won’t agree to that. If 1000 customers left their $.03 today that corporation is up $30. In ten days, $300 in 100 days $3000. A year gives them $10,950 of our change.

I don’t like it. I thought, maybe they should round. Charge me to the nearest nickel, but would that work out? Would my $.97 cost me 3 cents or earn me two?

They aren’t making more but what about all the pennies already in circulation? If I pay with pennies do they have to return them to the government? Like, to the Bureau of uncirculated coins? Is that a thing? Maybe for a credit, they could in fact, exchange all the pennies for bills. Or crypto. That would be fitting. I just don’t see this working out in our favor.

Who agreed to this anyway? The dissolving of this unit of one, one-fifth, one-tenth, one-twenty fifth, one hundredth? Who will teach it to 5 year olds? What will penny pinchers pinch? When I tell my grandchildren the story of penny candies, what will be their reference? And lord knows what we will put in the slots of our shoes…

Speaking of pennies…Did you know that the Lincoln head penny was designed in 1909 in honor of President Lincoln’s 100th birthday? Or that it was the first US coin to have a real person depicted? The copper coin. The cent. The penny.

If I see one, I’m still going to pick it up. And in the stores, I probably should just use my card.