Halloween Penny Costumes

Here are some clever ideas for a penny themed Halloween costume.
Idea #1
Idea #2
Idea #3
Whatever you do, make sure you're safe and have fun.

Collapse of US Dollar?

Is the US Dollar on its way down? If you've been following the nation's fiscal policies and spending at all, you've no doubt seen articles such as this one, or this one, foreshadowing the possible forfeiture of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.  I guess the dollar's only saving grace, is that there is no other nation's currency ready and able to step up and take it's place.  For many of us, the dollar has always been the world's reserve currency, but the older generation know that before WWII, the British Pound held that status.  After the war though, the pound's power declined, and the US dollar moved to the forefront.  Pretty much all of Britain's economic troubles from the 50's to the 70's can be attributed to this fact.  If and when the same thing happens to the US dollar, I'm afraid that the whole nation will be in a world of hurt.  Our most recent economic troubles will be just a drop in the bucket if the US government doesn't stop hemorrhaging money at the current exponential rate.  The recent government shutdown was a step in the right direction, but it is far from over.  If the US wants to stay as the world powerhouse that it is, even more drastic changes will be needed.

New $100 bills

So I've been able to check out a handful of the new $100 bills the government unloaded last week.  I have to say they are pretty cool.  The little blue stripe is awesome and the watermarks and detailed artwork are nice too.  Of course with the old $100's still in circulation, the counterfeiters can still try and duplicate the old 100, at least for a few more years.  It's sad that there are dishonest people out there, but at least they help us to have non-bland money.

Cashing in on Hoarded Pennies

So I found another online article here from a couple years ago about some penny hoarders and their stories.  I just had to laugh.  The guy about half-way through, who is selling the copper pennies at a premium is probably laughing too...all the way to the bank.  What idiot out there is actually paying a premium for these worthless copper disks?  Apparently there are a bunch of them.  And then the reporter asked him about if the penny gets discontinued, and they concluded that you could then melt the pennies and then smiled.  I'm sorry to say that his smile will soon turn to a frown, when he realizes that his conclusion is dead wrong. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Just because the mint isn't making a coin anymore, does NOT mean it's not legal tender or that it's no longer governed by the "no melting down" law. If and when the penny is discontinued, you'll only have two legal options: 1) turn in your pennies to the bank for face value, or 2) do nothing and get nothing.  Of course, it's the suckers who are actually buying the pennies from this guy that will be hating life the most. After all they just invested $176 into something that is only worth $100, and will always only be worth $100.  But I suppose this guy can continue to ride his money train as long as there are idiots out there willing to pay a premium for those pennies.