Should we get rid of the Penny?

Pennys. They are the most loved, and hated, coin of America. They are difficult to sort, and hard to handle. And why pay for things with just pennies when you could use a paper bill? Like I said before, pennies are hard to handle. Every year, on average, an American spends 2.4 hours on counting and sorting pennies. If you ask me that sounds like a waste of time. And most pennies just end up in jars, or stuffed behind cushions. However, most Americans still want the penny. The penny has Abraham Lincoln on it, and lots of people don't want to get rid of one of the most influential leaders off of a coin. Pennies are a waste, not just of time, but of money as well. It costs the Mint, the Government Agency that makes the money, 1.5 cents to make a 1 cent coin. If the penny was gone, tax payers could save millions of dollars every year. Even with that you may end up losing more money. Without the penny prices would have to be rounded up or down. Most people selling would want to round up and could add 2 or 3 cents to the price. That may not seem like a lot, but it could add up fast. Another reason people are hesitant to get rid of the penny is that they fear charities would lose money from that spare change in your pockets. But, pennys use copper and zinc. These metals are used in lots of other items that we use a lot, such as sunscreen. We should save these resources for items we use that don't just end up in jars. I believe we should get rid of the penny. They are hard to handle, and other countries such as Canada have gotten rid of them already. Canada has not seen charitable donations go down or prices increase enough to where it is a problem. I believe we should just stop minting them. The pennys you have you would still be able to use, but once you have spent it it goes out of circulation. The amount of pennies will go down, and we won't make more. Works Cited Matson, RJ. “Should We Get Rid of the Penny? | Persuasive Activities | Scholastic Scope Magazine.” Scope.scholastic.com, scope.scholastic.com/issues/2018-19/120118/Should-We-Get-Rid-of-the-Penny.html.