The Canadians have eliminated the penny. They still charge by the penny, like $3.79 but the total bill us rounded up or down. 3.75 becomes 3.80 and 3.74 becomes 3.70 while 3.75 remain three seventy five as they still have the nickel. I go there fishing most years and it took a bit of getting used to, but makes some sense. It now cost the government more to make a penny than the penny is worth, and the main ingredient is no long copper but zinc, which is a low value metal. I think the US will eventually go that way too. The problem with that is nickles then become the predominant coin, and they cost even more than the penny to make. Inflation is making coins to expensive!
US Copper Cent Plated Zinc - 2.5% Copper Balance 97.5 Zinc
According to the latest annual report from the US Mint, each penny cost 3.7 cents to make, including the 3 cents for production costs, and 0.7 cents per coin for administrative and distribution costs. But each nickel costs 13.8 cents, with 11 cents of production costs and 2.8 cents of administrative and distribution costs.
