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Senate Suggests Nixing the Penny

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Filed under: Banks

Perhaps you're one of those people who own a big jar filled with copper-coloured pennies, just waiting for the day to lug the weighty container to the nearest bank or coin changing machine with the hopes of getting some bills.

Some people put their pennies into the donation boxes by the cash registers; and some of us don't even bother to take their change if it's just pennies.

Let's face it, they're small, they don't have much individual value, they tend to collect everywhere (bags, coat pockets, the ground) and collectively they're very heavy.

That's why the Senate finance committee is looking to pound the penny into oblivion.

On December 14th, the committee recommended that Canada get rid of the penny. According to the Bank of Canada, the penny has lost 95% of its purchasing power since production started in1908. Which makes sense - think about it, when was the last time you bought anything for a penny?
On top of that, producing a penny now cost 1.5 cents, which is more than the actual value of the coin. The Royal Canadian Mint has also had to increase production of the penny because Canadians are hoarding the coin instead of spending and allowing it to circulate through the economy.

Getting rid of the penny won't hurt the economy. The Bank of Canada has studied the potential inflationary impact of removing the coin from circulation and has concluded that the impact would be 'negligible.'

Whether this means goods will now be listed as something else instead of '$19.99' or '$1.99' remains to be seen. The Senate finance committee is only tabling the suggestion. There is precedent - Australia and New Zealand don't have pennies as part of their currency.

On the plus side, your thoughts will be worth a whole five cents.

Share your thoughts with us. Should Canada get rid of the penny?

Related topics:
One Federal Budget Surprise: Plastic Money
How to Get Free Money from the Government


Should Canada get rid of the penny?
Yes324 (57.1%)
No200 (35.3%)
Not sure43 (7.6%)

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