ForumsShop Talk

Sure, why not? When the U.S. eliminated the half-penny, it was worth about 11 cents in today's money. So let's eliminate nickels, too (which means we could do without quarters, as well).

Why not just have dimes? One coin, decimal-based . . . a first-grader could understand it. No need to search your pocket or purse for the right coins to pay with correct change -- because they'd ALL be the right coins. And the most anyone would ever get stuck with is 9 dimes -- about 19 grams of weight (compared to the 54 grams or so that you can end up now if you don't have correct change for a cash transaction).

If you're into garage sales ("tag sales" or "rummage sales" in other parts of the country), you have to admit that it would be easier if you only needed dimes.

By one estimate, about 560 million pounds of coins will be moved today (by armored car and private vehicle) between depositories and retailers, primarily to make change for cash sales. That could be reduced to perhaps 130 million pounds if retail change-making involved dimes only. (Wouldn't there be a fuel savings? Some local governments banned plastic shopping bags with a lot shakier data than that in order to be "green" -- so maybe one of those cities will pass a pricing and vending law that effectively eliminates the need for pennies, nickels, and quarters to help save the planet!)

Anyone looking for a new "cause" to champion?

In defense of the penny:

"A dime for your thoughts." Bad
"A dime saved is a dime earned." Worse
"Here's my two dimes worth." Just sad

I would hate to see it go. What would happen to the .99 cent stores? Now, I do hate the practice of pricing things with .99 at the end but there is something about an item not having a rounded off price. Yes, counting would be easier, but does our society really need less reason to learn to count properly? I still get a chuckle when I pay for something and the young person behind the register figures out that I have given them an odd amount in order to get back only silver. That moment of realization is worth a penny. I will miss the penny if it every goes. I taught my sons to count to one hundred with pennys. They learned that it only takes one little, meaningless penny to keep a person from being a millionaire - that there is a power to even the smallest amount. But this is business and there is only a place in business for logical decisions - emotional connections do not equate.

The dime idea was cool.

LOL.

Think we can get BOA to at least pay half of that? There are less knowledgeable individual making a lot more for some very bad advice.