# Canada moves closer to eliminating the penny **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859 "2010-07-16T00:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/1 "2010-07-16T00:42:56Z")
[Link.](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/836527--pulling-the-plug-on-the-penny?bn=1) Apparently the Mint and the Finance Department have been talking about eliminating the Canadian one-cent coin from circulation. No decision has been announced. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/2 "2010-07-16T01:22:37Z")
Seems they’ve been talking about it for a few years now. I think the public still wants the penny, for reasons I can’t really fathom. I guess they don’t want prices to be rolled _up_ like from $9.73 to $9.75? It’s trivial, but it does kind of add up after a while. I have a rather large penny jar like most people (though it actually also contains lots of nickels and dimes too!). I use Interac or credit almost exclusively. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/3 "2010-07-16T01:32:25Z")
The only time I carry any sort of cash is during those errands (occasional and brief) during which I am obligated to pretend to be interested in the minutia of my pot dealer’s daily life. The last time I remember having a use for the one cent coin was in 1992, when the boyfriend of my neighbour across the street used to call for her at 6:00am and summon her by honking. Those little bastards would _still_ have been useless in that situation, if I didn’t happen to have a slingshot handy. I wish they’d get on with it, already. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/4 "2010-07-16T01:34:30Z")
Jeez, just get on with it. What _is_ people’s problem with this trivial issue? You won’t miss the shrapnel, I promise you. Gawd. [QUOTE=mnemosyne] I guess they don’t want prices to be rolled up like from $9.73 to $9.75? It’s trivial, but it does kind of add up after a while. [/QUOTE] You do realise that $9.72 gets rolled down to $9.70, don’t you? And so it pretty much exactly cancels out? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/5 "2010-07-16T01:35:06Z")
They’re good for scratching instant lottery tickets. However, since I don’t buy any, this will be a welcome change if indeed it does happen. “Welcome change!” Hurr hurr hurr. See what I did there? Where’s a rimshot when you need one? > **[Welcome to Instant Rimshot](http://instantrimshot.com/)** > > If you need quick access to an ironicly-placed rimshot sound to mock your friends, or a genuinely-placed rimshot to put your great joke over the top, you've come to the right place. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/6 "2010-07-16T01:42:51Z")
I’m all for it. I might write to the Finance Department urging them on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/7 "2010-07-16T02:04:25Z")
IIRC one of the Eurozone member states doesn’t use 1c or 2c coins. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/8 "2010-07-16T02:31:00Z")
I wouldn’t even miss the nickel. What the hell is 5 cents going to do for me? Especially if it’s rounded up and down to the nearest dime. Torch the penny now, please. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/9 "2010-07-16T03:15:29Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > IIRC one of the Eurozone member states doesn’t use 1c or 2c coins. That would be [Finland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Euro_coins#Usage_of_1_cent_and_2_cent_coins). ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/10 "2010-07-16T04:22:31Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Seems they’ve been talking about it for a few years now. I think the public still wants the penny, for reasons I can’t really fathom. I guess they don’t want prices to be rolled _up_ like from $9.73 to $9.75? This was the complaint when South Africa went to 5c being the smallest denomination. Most stores as far as I recall were pretty sensitive to the potential bad press and pretty much always rounded down to the nearest 5c. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/11 "2010-07-16T05:38:04Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > That would be [Finland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Euro_coins#Usage_of_1_cent_and_2_cent_coins). We are the only euro-zone country to do this? Whoa, live and learn. Can’t say I miss the little coins at all - for all I care they could round it to the nearest 10 cents. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/12 "2010-07-16T07:54:17Z")
As long as merchants always round down, I support getting rid of all denominations less than $100. Make that $1000. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/13 "2010-07-16T08:36:52Z")
Thailand has two coins smaller than a baht, one slightly less and one slightly more than a U.S. penny in value. However I don’t know of a single place in my entire province which ever gives one of those coins in change! (The local post office sells envelopes for two-and-a-half baht, but stingy septimus always buys an even number of envelopes, since they don’t give half-baht change!) I’ve got a jar of half-baht and quarter-baht coins from getting change at the large supermarket 55 miles away. Hmm … just for fun I think I’ll try to buy something locally with them and see what the reaction is… ---
**Author:** ![Mogle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mogle/32/12021_2.png) [@Mogle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/14 "2010-07-16T09:04:31Z")
Heh, here in Sweden we’re getting rid of our 50 öre coin later this year, so soon our smallest coin will be worth about 13 US cents. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/15 "2010-07-16T12:05:56Z")
'bout time. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/16 "2010-07-16T12:53:01Z")
They’ll live in on US circulation - I get Canadian pennies in my change fairly regularly here in NYC, about a couple of times a month. I also got what looked like a penny from Trinidad and Tobago once, and a 2 Eurocent piece that also looks like a US penny (worth a lot more than 0.01 USD!). That’s about the only use for them I can see - occasional amusement like this. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/17 "2010-07-16T14:25:24Z")
The cafeteria at my university already rounds to the nearest multiple of five cents. It doesn’t seem to cause any problems. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/18 "2010-07-16T15:39:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I wouldn’t even miss the nickel. What the hell is 5 cents going to do for me? Especially if it’s rounded up and down to the nearest dime. Rounding to the nearest multiple of ten cents might pose problems, though, given the fact that we use a 25 cent coin instead of a 20 cent coin. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/19 "2010-07-16T16:16:43Z")
When I was visiting New Zealand I really liked not having to deal with pennies. Hell, I don’t even like carrying around nickels or dimes. I usually sort them out of my pocket change and set them aside every few days. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/20 "2010-07-16T16:39:02Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Rounding to the nearest multiple of ten cents might pose problems, though, given the fact that we use a 25 cent coin instead of a 20 cent coin. Good point. But I really hate nickels. How 'bout we drop the penny, nickel, _and_ quarter, and go with dime, a new quarter-sized 50 cent piece (to be known colloquially as a kook, i.e. half loony), and the loonie and toonie? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859.md?page=2)