# New US Penny Reverse.... it's Beautiful! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598 "2010-02-19T05:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/41 "2010-02-19T23:48:20Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Hey! He was just giving his 2 cents. :rolleyes::rolleyes: Man, that was a groaner, alright… ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/42 "2010-02-20T00:02:55Z")
I am not a fan. Make a damn coin and stick with it, please. I do not need, or want, four variants of pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/43 "2010-02-20T00:18:48Z")
It’s a nice design, but I have to say I’m in favor of getting rid of the penny. They’re almost completely worthless; I’d need a roll of 50 pennies just to buy a tiny snack-sized bag of potato chips, which is just about the cheapest item you can buy these days. Rounding off to the nearest 5 cents for people who pay in cash (check, credit card, and debit card purchases still being figured to the cent) would be fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/44 "2010-02-20T00:48:42Z")
How big a geek am I that my first thought upon seeing that was “Hey, look! It’s Captain America’s original shield!” ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/45 "2010-02-20T00:50:08Z")
Nice design … but get rid of the penny, nickel, and dime. Round to the nearest quarter. Get rid of the $1 note. That way, nobody can “nickel and dime you to death.” ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/46 "2010-02-20T00:51:52Z")
> [@Gary\_Baldy](#): > > Last year’s designs were not a search to find a new design, but to commemorate the 200th birthday of Lincoln. The four designs were to honor his life. The new design in the final design, until the next change, which will probably be in 50 years, which is the current cycle of the penny since Lincoln replaced the Indian Head. Please don’t tall me the penny will still be around 50 years from now. It outlived its usefulness years ago. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/47 "2010-02-20T02:21:43Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Then it’s time for her to teach them that not all nickels are identical . . . just like people. She does her best, but five-year-olds get confused easily. ---
**Author:** ![Visual\_Purple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@Visual\_Purple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Visual_Purple)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/48 "2010-02-20T02:28:33Z")
The combination of fonts and sizes is awkward. It gives it a slapped together look to me, like something in a local newspaper advertisement. Also, the shield and fonts are very retro looking. Overall, it makes me think it should be some kind of token from the 30s or 40s. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/49 "2010-02-20T02:34:07Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Hey! He was just giving his 2 cents. To coin a phrase. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/50 "2010-02-20T03:55:06Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It is beautiful. Much better than the special 2009 backs. Like the one that looks like it’s commemorating [Kramer](http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/ig/New-Penny-Designs-for-2009-/Lincoln-s-Face-on-2009-Cents.htm)from Seinfeld? ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/51 "2010-02-20T06:53:48Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Nice design .. but get rid of the penny, nickel, and dime. Round to the nearest quarter. Get rid of the $1 note. > > That way, nobody can “nickel and dime you to death.” It’s just a coin. Nothing to get in_cents_ed about. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/52 "2010-02-20T07:29:48Z")
“Clean and modern.”?! It looks very like something from a 1940’s propaganda comic book! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/53 "2010-02-20T07:42:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Which can really only happen if sales tax gets generalized. :rolleyes: Sales taxes in my state are computed as proportions of the whole, then rounded to the nearest cent. It’s exactly the same kind of computation to round to the nearest nickel, or dollar. In fact, income taxes are only figured to the dollar. That said, I suspect that if not for sales taxes, we very likely would rarely use anything smaller than a quarter in any case. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/54 "2010-02-20T07:43:57Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > “Clean and modern.”?! It looks very like something from a 1940’s propaganda comic book! Which of course makes sense as the penny primarily exists to appeal to those nostalgic for that era. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/55 "2010-02-20T11:15:32Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > :rolleyes: Sales taxes in my state are computed as proportions of the whole, then rounded to the nearest cent. It’s exactly the same kind of computation to round to the nearest nickel, or dollar. In fact, income taxes are only figured to the dollar. > > That said, I suspect that if not for sales taxes, we very likely would rarely use anything smaller than a quarter in any case. What I meant was that it’s not going to work if the sales tax is different from state to state. At least, to me, that always seemed to be the reason it was possible in other countries. WTA:We are talking about having prices on the shelves/menu already reflect taxes, right? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/56 "2010-02-20T11:54:11Z")
OOOH! Good lookin’! ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/57 "2010-02-20T17:26:50Z")
I don’t mind pennies, but when are we going to get a workable dollar coin?? (Yeah, I know, never, because people loves them their greenbacks.) ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/58 "2010-02-20T18:47:58Z")
What is wrong with this country that our coins don’t have numbers on them? I feel so bad for foreign visitors who don’t know the language and just want to know which of these things is worth 5 and which is worth 10. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/59 "2010-02-20T20:12:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Always wondered what they did with [Captain America’s original shield . . .](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America%27s_shield#Original_shield) Nah, ol’ Abe has all the mojo he needs [right here](http://img.visualizeus.com/thumbs/09/01/04/b,w,lincoln,machine,gun,motivational,poster,steampunk-3e04df0b2f1d0c8714a78cb835b94f77_h.jpg)…[SFW] ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598/60 "2010-02-20T21:46:58Z")
Twenty years ago I was wondering whether they might decide to _retire_ the penny in 2009. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-penny-reverse-its-beautiful/529598.md?page=4)