Goodbye to the U.S. penny.

Farewell to the Lincoln penny.  The U.S. Treasury Department stopped production of the penny on November 12 after more than 230 years of minting America's smallest denomination.  However, t     he United States has kept its lowest denomination longer than many other countries.

Every U.S. penny costs 4 cents to produce, quite a bit more than its face value of one cent.  The decision to phase out the penny is expected to save the U.S. government millions in minting costs.

I am Canadian and I am used to doing without the penny.  Canada stopped producing pennies in May of 2012.  The distribution of them ended on February 4, 2013 due to rising production costs.

The Canadian penny

As we move closer to a cashless society, coins have been abandoned around the world,, Here are some facts provided by the Department of Finance, Canada

* Australia removed the one-cent and two-cent coins from circulation in 1992.

* Brazil halted the production of one-centavo coins in 2005.

* Finland has not issued one-cent or two-cent euro coins since the Euro was introduced in 2002.

* Israel has not issued the one-agora coin since 1991.  It ended production of the five-agora coin in 2008.

* Netherlands ceased issuing one-cent and two-cent euro coins in 2004.

* New Zealand removed its one-cent and two-cent coins from circulation in 1989 and its five-cent coin in 2006.

* Norway removed its one-ore and two-ore coins back in 1972.  By 1991, it had also removed its five-, 10- and 25- ore coins.

* Sweden removed its one-ore and two-ore coins in 1971.  By 1992, it had also removed its five-, 10- and 25- ore coins.  In 2009, it removed the 50- ore coins from circulation.

* In 2006, Switzerland officially withdrew its one-centime coin from circulation in 2006.  The two centime coin lost its legal tender in 1978.

* Britain removed the legal tender of the half-penny in 1984.

The lowly penny will always be remembered in word,     sayings, song and folklore.

Pennies from heaven, song by Bing Crosby about the small joys in life

A penny for your thoughts.

Pennywise and pound foolish.

Penniless

Penny Arcade, song by Roy Orbison, about the attraction of an arcade and the nostalgia of childhood

A penny saved is a penny eared.

- Joanne