Change!

A "nonsense" coin produced by the US Mint - click to enlarge
Photo" AP

  It costs eleven cents to make a nickel, and 2 cents to make a penny; that ain't good math.  The U S Mint is now in the process of trying out new materials. 
  The metals used now; copper (in every coin), nickel (in all except the penny) are expensive.  There are 80 metals and four of them are less expensive than the metals used now.  Aluminum, Lead, Iron and Zinc are less costly than the metals used now.  Lead is out for obvious reasons.  The Mint is playing with the others to make new alloys or "sandwich" metals (like quarters and dimes now).  Copper is used now in all coins because of its electro-magnetic qualities, that is what is needed in vending machines.  To change vending machines to work a different way would cost up to 3.5 billion dollars - if the copper was missing.  Personally I don't think I've used a vending machine in over 30 years, maybe we could scrap them (just a thought).
  Canada has stopped making pennies and have removed them from circulation, it saved 14 billion dollars over a ten year period.  Something to think about.  Nickels could be made from aluminum I don't think they are used in vending machines (?).
  Does this make "cents"?

A new "quarter" maybe? -click
Photo: AP

A penny maybe. - click
Photo: AP