hadn't seen anyone post this yet. http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2014/01/15/is-america-ready-for-a-brown-nickel/?iid=HP_LN
The metal signature for vending machines is actually the big problem. They need to get to some type of steel but it won't work in vending. We may have BI-metal coins in the future. Did I spell that right? Much of the testing is going that direction.
My first thought was this is one of the steps for replacing the cent. Since the nickel, like the cent, costs more than face to produce changing it to a less expensive metal AND reducing its size this would be good. Poof to the cent. But then I thought there MUST be some significantly different physical properties otherwise people would be using cents for nickels.
I don't understand why the author of the article is so put off by the "brown" nickel. Sure it would take some getting used to but what's the big deal especially if it's going to save the government some money. If they could also change the design to a non Jefferson one that would be good too Come on America don't let the special interests dictate the designs!! Let's be more creative!!
Agreed. But if you think it will be hard to do away with the cent and start a "brown" nickel wait until they try to redesign the nickel, especially removing Jefferson. When the Mint had the Westward Journey change (2004-2006) the state of Virginia was about to riot (or at least the Virginia Congressmen were; hey, it's free advertising).
Nickel's are the ONLY U.S. coin that the mint has NOT changed the alloy sense the first nickel was minted. I sure hope this never happens...
Canada has been making steel coins for years now. The alloy and ply technology they use holds up well.
I'm pretty certain if the costs (losses) to produce the penny and nickel were coming out of the congressmen's pockets we'd have different composition by now.
You've got that right. Maybe we could convince them it's coming out of their "pork barrel". Last I heard the cents were costing the Gov't an extra $150,000,000 per year.
Just remember that the US government saving 150 million is like me saving about 10 cents. While it all helps, it is miniscule.
I liked this part: "But before any cost-saving alternatives are pursued, the Mint must figure out if Americans will reject a brown nickel -- or other cost-saving changes to U.S. coins -- just like I did." Americans will reject EVERYTHING because we're stupidly stuck in our ways. AMERICA, i.e. The Federal Government, simply needs to make the change and ignore the whining and groveling. After a year or so, folks will get used to it and then whine that the Government didn't make the change to the change sooner!
