US Pennies shiny new

16 Facts and Uses for the One-Cent Piece That are Worth Every Penny

For some people, pennies are so annoying, they don’t even bother picking up strays that end up on sidewalks and streets. Then there are those who eagerly collect the copper coin, living up to the Benjamin Franklin quote that a penny saved is a penny earned.

US Pennies in a pile

Assuming that the rest of us fall somewhere between those extremes, today I thought it would be fun to take a look at a few facts and uses for the lowest value coin in the U.S. currency lineup—the lowly penny.

Four, no more

Carry four pennies with you at all times so you always have just enough to avoid paying the odd cents when you make a purchase. This way you avoid getting pennies back in change. Serious “change savers” save other coins but want to get rid of the pennies as quickly as possible. This method will do it.

Tons of copper

Since its beginning, the U.S. Mint has produced more than 288.7 billion pennies. Lined up edge to edge, these pennies would circle the earth 137 times. The average penny lasts 25 years.

Big waste

It now costs two cents to produce a penny that is worth one-cent, making penny production a losing proposition, especially when the US Mint produces billions of pennies annually. According to an analysis of the U.S. Mint’s annual report (the most recent report available), “taxpayers lost about $85.4 million from penny production and $33.5 million from nickel production last year.”

Some rarities

In 1943, at the peak of World War II, pennies of steel-coated zinc were made for a short time due to war demands for copper. A few copper pennies from 1943 were produced by accident from the 1942 copper planchet remaining in the bins. Only forty 1943 copper pennies are known to remain in existence.

Nickname

We call it a penny but that’s only a nickname. The U.S. Treasury’s official name for the coin is “one cent piece.”

Make a Washer

If you don’t have washers on hand and need to finish a project, you can drill holes into coins and use them instead. Use a dime or a penny for a small washer, and a quarter or half-dollar to simulate a larger flange washer. Brass washers cost about 4 cents each and pennies cost, well, a penny.

 

.

penny tire measureRoad Safety

Place a penny into a tire’s tread head first. See if the top of Abe’s head disappears. If it does, your tread is still above 2/32-inch. If you can see his entire head, it may be time to replace the tire because your treads are too shallow and you could experience a blow-out.

Keep in mind that tires do not wear evenly so be sure to check the tread on several places on each tire to determine that the tire’s tread depth is safe.

Party Entertainment

Grasp a penny with the thumb and middle finger of your better snapping hand. Bend arm and tilt it so it’s parallel to the ground. Snap fingers, which launches penny with middle finger. Aim and repeat until you have everyone at the party engaged, amazed, and having fun.

As Payback

Has anyone ever said to you, “I want you to pay back every penny you owe me?” Take them up on their word and pay them back in pennies. Just don’t try it in Canada. At the time, one man went to a lot of trouble to show up at the tax collector’s office to pay his property taxes with 200,000 pennies. He learned that under the Quebec Currency Act, no one was obliged to accept more than 25 pennies as payment for any product or service.

As a Tool

Use a penny for leverage to pry the lid from a difficult “line-up-the-arrows” childproof medication bottle or other hard-to-pry-open situation. Or as a spacer when laying tile.

Balancing Act

Slip a penny under a vase that sits a little wobbly to steady it.

Create Ballast

Tape a penny to the tail of your kite for a little more stabilizing weight.

Remove a Bolt

Use as an impromptu screwdriver in a wide slotted bolt or screw.

Build a Sculpture

Follow this link for inspiration to make a penny sculpture that will amaze your friends and make your mother proud.

Leave a Sign

Lay a penny on your loved one’s grave-marker each time you visit. Those who follow will catch on and follow suit.

Copper Flooring

Are you looking for something new in your bathroom or kitchen? If you have lots of spare pennies, perhaps you should try the copper penny flooring. At $2.56 per square foot (256 pennies to the square foot laid 16 x16 in a grid pattern) that’s about as cheap as flooring gets.

Not that ambitious? Go for a shiny new countertop instead.

 

A stove top oven sitting inside of a kitchen

 


 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

More from Everyday Cheapskate

garden seed starting table scape succulents tools gardener gardening hacks
Amazon Big Spring Sale Teaser with Question Marks
important documents every family should keep stack desk home office bright
DIY muffin liner homemade tulip baking lavender cutting board shadows
quick dinner recipe italian cheesy meatball bake casserole dish
chalkboard with hot deals march 2024 piece of chalk best deals
newspaper headline daily news man reading with coffee mug
Unrecognizable woman cleaning with vinegar


Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines



Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend.

18 replies
« Older Comments
  1. Priscilla says:

    Did you know that 16 pennies stacked on top of one another equals one inch, and 16 pennies laid beside each other in a row equals 1 foot?

    Reply
  2. Becky says:

    Fun fact. A company in the small town of Greenville Tennessee makes all of the penny blanks and then the are shipped to the mint where they are stamped and made legal tender.

    Reply
  3. Joan McGowan says:

    As a church Sunday School project, adults and children saved a mile of pennies. 16 pennies to a foot, 5280 feet to a mile = $844.80! Of course, we charted the mile on paper. I did count and roll most of the pennies over a three year period.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *