Coppers

So the US one cent coins and British pence were originally made of all copper, thus giving them the nickname of "coppers".  We also have police officers who may be referred to as "coppers".  Since we know pennies are worthless, what does that say about our boys in blue?  Just kidding.  I think our police officers should be commended for the difficult job they do.  I know I never want to be a cop.  Kudos to those that do.  It is a difficult and thankless job sometimes.  Just think of all the kinds of people they have to deal with on a daily basis.  I think it would be mentally and physically taxing to deal with people who are breaking the law, all day long. Next time you see a police officer, thank them for the service they provide.

Pennies repel bugs

So there is an article  here explaining how pennies in a plastic bag with water will repel flies and other insects from your outdoor activities.  How true is this?  I don't know.  My wife has tried it, but I never gauged the results.  It seems a little hokey to me.  But even Snopes has been unable to confirm or deny the validity of this.  If it does work, then this is one use you can put your useless pennies to.

Penny Pinchers

So, if we get rid of pennies, will we still have penny pinchers? Definitely.  But we'll probably refer to them as tightwads, or cheapskates or other synonymous phrases, until the phrase "penny pincher" falls entirely out of use.  That's the thing about language; it is always evolving.  New words and phrases appear and obsolete words fall out of use.  It's just the way things are.  The same with phrases like "a penny for your thoughts" and "find a penny, pick it up..." and others.  They'll never replace the word in such phrases, and say "a nickel for your thoughts," but the phrase itself will become obsolete and be replaced by another word or phrase that conveys the same message.  There is almost always several ways to say what you mean, and I'm sure hundreds of words and phrases become obsolete each year.  Just as I'm sure hundreds of new words and phrases appear each year.  Language continually evolves; our monetary system should evolve as well.

Pennies and Electricity

Do pennies conduct electricity? Well, all metals do, and the metals in pennies are no exception.  Copper is found in almost all US coins and is one of the best conductors of electricity. Silver and Gold conduct electricity just as well, so if you've got a Silver or Gold coin, electricity will easily pass through them.  The Zinc in pennies and Nickel in other coins conduct electricity too, but not nearly as well as the Copper.  The worst conductor in any US coin is the Manganese which is about 3.5% of the Dollar coin. So out of all the US coins, the newer mostly-Zinc penny is probably the worst conductor, but since all of the Copper is in the outside coating of the penny, there is less resistance than you might think.  In the other coins, the copper makes up the core, and is not present in the outer coating.  There is your chemistry lesson for the day. Now don't go out and stick your pennies in a light socket or anything like that.

Can a penny kill you?

It is possible, though not likely.  If you're walking by the Empire State Building and someone throws a penny off the top, and this penny falls and hits you in the head, it will not kill you, though it will hurt for a while. It won't be moving fast enough to break the skin or crack your skull.  The idea that this could be deadly was busted on a 2003 episode of Myth Busters.

Another way a penny could harm you is if you swallow one.  If it doesn't get lodged somewhere along your digestive track, then it should pass through with no real permanent damage.  The post-1982 mostly-zinc pennies will cause a little more alarm, since the zinc is more easily eroded by stomach acids, and as it becomes more pitted, can easily become lodged in the stomach or intestines.  If you leave it, stomach pains and ulcers are in your future.  But you'll probably go to the hospital long before it actually kills you, so even in the worst case scenario, a visit to the ER will put you back in order.

I'm not sure if there are any other ways that a penny could harm you, unless you're walking crooked because you've got a pocket full of them.  So you should be safe using and spending your pennies.

Pennies and Trains

So, I saw the Lone Ranger in the theater yesterday to celebrate the USA's independence day.  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, though the others in my group said it was not as good as they had hoped.  Oh, well.  But all the trains and train crashes got me thinking about pennies on railroad tracks.  Will a penny on the tracks derail a train?  What do smashed pennies look like?  Is it dangerous out there on the tracks? There is a good Snopes article about this practice.  In summary, no, the penny will not derail the train, but make sure you are well clear of the tracks long before the train comes rumbling down the tracks, so that the train doesn't flatten you, along with your penny.  Now I do not recommend engaging in any train-track-penny-flattening endeavors, though admittedly, flattening a penny won't change its value. It will still be as worthless as a normal one.
Another thing you can do with your pennies is use them to clean up the metal rails on your model electric train and car sets.  The gunk that builds up on the metal contacts easily comes off when you rub the flat side of your penny along them.  It will also keep the tracks nice and shiny without scratching everything up, like traditional cleaning items might do.

Brief History of the Penny

The United States has had a one-cent coin since 1793.  Originally this coin was larger than our current $1 coin, but smaller than the half-dollar coin. It was made entirely of copper and featured various depictions of "Lady Liberty" on the front, before it was discontinued in 1857.  It was replaced by the smaller penny in 1856 which first depicted an eagle, then an American Indian in headdress, before good old Abe's profile appeared in 1909.  If you have one of those pre-Lincoln pennies, consider yourself lucky.  They are definitely collectors' items.