# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/61 "2010-07-19T15:17:13Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > In China, the smallest coin in circulation is the jiao, which is worth about 1.5 cents USD. However, there is a smaller denomination, called the fen, which is worth 1/10th of a jiao or .0015 cents USD. What? If 1 jiao = 1.5 U.S. cents, wouldn’t 0.1 jiao = 0.15 U.S. cents? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/62 "2010-07-20T01:20:56Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > I like Thailand money because there is no breakage. A pice of candy costs 1 Bhat, a car costs 10 million baht (or whatever.) There isn’t a lot of coins, nothing is .99 cents or crap like that. Indonesia’s currency (The Rupiah) is like this, too. It takes about 18,000 Rupiah to buy a bottle of beer and there’s about 5,000 Rupiah to the US dollar. ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/63 "2011-06-28T02:04:05Z")
So has Canada gotten rid of their pennies yet? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/64 "2011-06-28T02:59:43Z")
Australia is now talking about getting rid of the 5 cent coin, which currently is worth slightly more than a U.S. nickel. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/65 "2011-06-28T03:08:09Z")
> [@bahia\_hombre](#): > > So has Canada gotten rid of their pennies yet? Not yet. We’re distracted by the Jets returning to Winnipeg. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/66 "2011-06-28T03:49:57Z")
[hopes] And the Nordiques! And the Nordiques!! If we send all our pennies to Glendale, could we buy the team? [/runs around in a fit of over-enthusiasm over meaningless news out of Phoenix] ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/67 "2011-06-28T04:05:34Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > [hopes] > > And the Nordiques! And the Nordiques!! If we send all our pennies to Glendale, could we buy the team? > > [/runs around in a fit of over-enthusiasm over meaningless news out of Phoenix] A guy just walked after being offered a HUNDRED MILLION in free taxpayer dollars to stay there. I think you better get a big ol’ sack of change if you wanna bring top tier ice hockey back to La Belle Province. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/68 "2011-06-28T13:49:04Z")
Top tier? Nah, we already have the Habs! Consistently just out of the playoffs will work too for the Nords… I don’t intend to cheer for them (I bleed bleu blanc rouge!) but I feel they ought to be returned anyways! 🙂 I’ll go count the pennies in my change jar… ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/69 "2011-06-28T14:13:00Z")
So far as I know, Russia still mints one-kopeck coins, which are worth about $0.00036. I never actually received one in change while I was over there–even the notoriously fussy Russian cashiers couldn’t be bothered with them. And here we have a 2008 [article](http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?story_id=25442&action_id=2)from the Saint Petersburg Times discussing the possible extinction–but treasury officials were reluctant, because “it would lead to a slight increase in prices.” Some things are the same everywhere… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/70 "2011-06-28T14:50:38Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > 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. > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > **Moderator note** : > Remember, buying, selling, and possessing pot is still illegal in the United States. To recap the [rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7696990&postcount=5) regarding illicit things: > > “Fostering” and “promoting” usually mean discussing or explaining how to obtain, produce, deal, or use drugs illegally; OTOH merely advocating legalization or declaring the laws on this subject to be stupid is usually fine, if appropriate for the forum and thread you are in. But avoid references to buying drugs. You realize the dude was discussing the purchase of cookware, right? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/71 "2011-06-28T21:47:52Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > All they really have to do is give people an incentive to roll up all those pennies they’re hoarding and get them back into circulation. That way, they could cut back on the number they mint and save some money. Give out free coin rolls (the shotgun type that only need to be crimped on one end) and maybe hand out some kind of prize for every Ten Dollars’ worth brought back. They’d save money in the long run, and the problem would be effectively solved. While there may be some people who are intentionally hoarding, I think that there are a lot of people who just can’t be bothered with their pennies and just let them build up. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/72 "2011-06-28T22:07:27Z")
In 3 or 4 years Canada will have gotten rid of its paper money as well. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/73 "2011-06-29T00:55:23Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > In 3 or 4 years Canada will have gotten rid of its paper money as well. ??!! Cite? I highly doubt there will be a $100.00 coin for a very long time. If you mean everyone will switch to paying for everything with credit cards and computers, not bloody likely. Maybe in 20, but even there I have difficulty believing it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/74 "2011-06-29T01:20:44Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > ??!! Cite? > > I highly doubt there will be a $100.00 coin for a very long time. If you mean everyone will switch to paying for everything with credit cards and computers, not bloody likely. Maybe in 20, but even there I have difficulty believing it. Oops! Just realized what you were alluding to. Yes, we will have all plastic $5 and up bills in the next few years, so no more paper money in that sense. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/75 "2011-06-29T13:52:49Z")
What I don’t understand is all those people who throw their pennies into a jar and then complain that a couple cents increase in price is going to bankrupt them. Nearly a year after this thread started, there is still nothing about abolishing the penny. In the US, the official names of the coins are: one cent, five cents, one dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, one dollar. In Canada they are: one cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty five cents, fifty cents, one dollar, two dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/76 "2011-06-29T14:12:18Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > What I don’t understand is all those people who throw their pennies into a jar and then complain that a couple cents increase in price is going to bankrupt them. > > Nearly a year after this thread started, there is still nothing about abolishing the penny. > > In the US, the official names of the coins are: > one cent, five cents, one dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, one dollar. > In Canada they are: > one cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty five cents, fifty cents, one dollar, two dollars. Nit-picky but genuine question: is the official Canadian 25¢ spelling with or without a hyphen? To me, “twenty five cents” = 1.00 (20 × 5¢) and "twenty-five cents" = .25 ETA: I know a hyphen was correct a generation or two ago, but I’m asking because conventions change and I’m sure the two contexts would never be confused. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/77 "2011-06-29T16:44:21Z")
I wish the government would mint a mill coin. I’m tired of getting ripped off at the gas station, and gas is high enough as it is… ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/78 "2011-06-30T00:49:04Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > IIRC one of the Eurozone member states doesn’t use 1c or 2c coins. Hell, I have a 1 centime piece from the 60s. When I was in France with my Mom in 75 they already were rounding up or down to the nearest 0 or 5, and the tax was already baked into the price. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/79 "2011-06-30T01:12:04Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > What I don’t understand is all those people who throw their pennies into a jar and then complain that a couple cents increase in price is going to bankrupt them. Right, if you haven’t been using one-cents in transactions to avoid getting more one-cents back–and then you’re taking _those_ one-cents out of circulation too–you’re effectively rounding all transactions up, to your own disadvantage. Eliminating pennies would put you ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859/80 "2011-06-30T20:21:51Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Nit-picky but genuine question: is the official Canadian 25¢ spelling with or without a hyphen? To me, “twenty five cents” = 1.00 (20 × 5¢) and "twenty-five cents" = .25 > > ETA: I know a hyphen was correct a generation or two ago, but I’m asking because conventions change and I’m sure the two contexts would never be confused. The coin has “25 CENTS” on it. The Royal Canadian Mint refers to the coins as “25 cents” or “25-cent coins”. The \*Royal Canadian Mint Act \*specifies a “twenty-five cent coin”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-moves-closer-to-eliminating-the-penny/546859.md?page=3)