My Two Cents Worth

Annmarie Throckmorton, M.A.
2 days ago
1 min read

Americans used to say "I'll give you my two cents worth." and then proceed to regal you with wit, wisdom, or worthless opinion for the figurative two pennies that you pay them with your attention. And sometimes someone would ask what you were thinking by saying, "A penny for your thoughts." But now pennies are gone, the government no longer makes them, and is taking them out of circulation*. I wonder if the copper in pennies was worth more than the actual pennies and someone was melting them down for profit as pre-1982 pennies contain 95% copper.

I suppose nickels are next to go. Nickels are already near valueless. For a very long time, we have been saying “That and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee.” Meaning the "that" was so worthless or futile you had to pay full price in coin to get a cup of coffee, the historical price of a cup of coffee being a nickel. And what about quarters, and the 50-cent piece? Ah well, coins were too heavy and cumbersome anyway.

But so now a piece of penny candy will cost a dollar? Wow, that's some crazy mean inflation that digitizing our monetary system probably will not correct.

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* The official online reason given is that "The Secretary of the Treasury has decided to suspend production of the one-cent coin (penny) upon determining that it is no longer necessary to meet the needs of the United States."

My Two Cents Worth