I guess it has to do with the 225th anniversary of the US Mint. Although I think it's kind of hilarious that apparently they did it just to see if anyone would notice. Perhaps they are trying to build up a case for retiring the cent, since it mostly just goes from banks to retailers to customers to change jars to banks and never actually has any functional mercantile use anymore.
Quote: "Jesse11"I guess it has to do with the 225th anniversary of the US Mint. Although I think it's kind of hilarious that apparently they did it just to see if anyone would notice. Perhaps they are trying to build up a case for retiring the cent, since it mostly just goes from banks to retailers to customers to change jars to banks and never actually has any functional mercantile use anymore.
Here's another article:
http://www.coinweek.com/us-mint-news/philadelphia-mint-quietly-releases-2017-p-lincoln-cent/
I agree...dont know how much longer we can throw away money like that...
Quote: "Vixon Joyce"I'm not from the US, can you tell me what's wrong with it/what's the difference?
Pennies minted at the Philadelphia mint carry no mint mark, as opposed to those minted in Denver or San Francisco (D and S) respectively. This is the first time a penny from Philadelphia will have the P mintmark under the date.
Oh I see, thanks for that, however I'm afraid that then raises another question, why is that a negative thing and could lead to the taking away of the coin? Xx
Quote: "Vixon Joyce"Oh I see, thanks for that, however I'm afraid that then raises another question, why is that a negative thing and could lead to the taking away of the coin? Xx
It's not, and they're not related. The P was just added apparently to draw extra attention to the coin on this anniversary year for the mint. The controversy over whether to retire the cent coin has been going on for a long time. Depending on the price of zinc, it sometimes costs more than a cent to make a cent coin, and even beyond that, there's simply no mercantile function for the coin beyond making exact change.
Canada retired their cent coin five years ago, and I can't say anybody misses it (except maybe coin collectors).
Hmm ok, I've heard similar talk (from common people) in the UK stating that the penny is useless. I personally ( maybe biased as a coin collector) feel the cancelling of any coin is a shame and a diminuation of culture.
In a somewhat related note, the last couple of times I've gone to the bank to get a some coin rolls, I was given the cents rolled in clear, plastic rolls instead of the regular paper rolls. Out of five entire rolls of cents (250 coins,) none of them were pre 1982...
Hi John
Have not seen the clear plastic rolls yet. But know that money handing company's buy the, I think, 5000 bags from the mint. And roll them. Here is a Loomis company roll of 2013 D
So I would think the plastic rolls are from a company not the mint. There are a lot of people holding on to pre-1982 for the copper. A friend's brother is nuts this way - has 2 or 3 of 55 gallon drums full of them. I am not that bad, just keep all I get.
If I had a couple 55 gallon drums full of pennies, I'd probably pull a McScrooge about once a month and take a swim in a pool full of pennies!
Here is a photo of one of those rolls. I have only gotten them from one bank, but, again, every roll I have opened only contains post 1982 pennies.
John
