Sunshine & Flowers

[Flanders]

When I was kid a penny meant something. A small empty soda bottle was worth two cents; a quart bottle got you a nickel. Often a friend and I would split the two cents deposit if we found a bottle. Sometimes a grownup sitting on the stoop would finish a soda and give the empty bottle to a neighborhood kid. The lucky kid so blessed thought a millionaire had given him a fortune. In an early time, John D. Rockefeller’s shiny new dimes could not hold a candle to an empty soda bottle. Sad to say the penny has fallen on hard times:

Canada minted its final penny today as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the coin was too expensive to produce and no longer needed for business.

Canada Stops Making Cents as Flaherty Lets Penny Drop
By Greg Quinn - May 4, 2012 2:20 PM ET

Canada Stops Making Cents as Flaherty Lets Penny Drop - Bloomberg

There has also been talk about dumping the American penny. Penny-haters and wastrels say a penny costs more to mint than it is worth. I do not believe it. It might be true if the penny was used one time only, but it is used over and over again.

The penny was always a part of America. Old Ben Franklin himself told us “A penny saved is twopence dear.” more commonly known as “As a penny saved is a penny earned.” Getting rid of the penny is like getting rid of Ben Franklin.

In addition to everything else there is a wonderful philosophy connected to the penny. I just can’t help thinking that when the penny goes sunshine and flowers will go, too:

Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Don'tcha know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune fallin' all over town
Be sure that your umbrella
Is upside down

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
So when you hear it thunder Don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me

Every time it rains, it rains Pennies from heaven
Don't cha know each cloud contains Pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune fallin' All over town
Be sure that your umbrella Is upside down

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love you must have showers
So when you hear it thunder Don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and for me

Bing Crosby - Pennies From Heaven - YouTube

 

[laughinReaper]

America is faced with the same problem. It costs more to make a penny then the penny is worth. You could buy more back in the day with an American penny too. I penny got me three bubble gumballs, you could still find penny candy in some stores and 8 pennies could buy regular postage. It is kinda sad but it has to come sooner or later just like the time came for half pennies. I hear American Nickels aren't doing much better then pennies.

 

[Flanders]

America is faced with the same problem. It costs more to make a penny then the penny is worth. You could buy more back in the day with an American penny too. I penny got me three bubble gumballs, you could still find penny candy in some stores and 8 pennies could buy regular postage. It is kinda sad but it has to come sooner or later just like the time came for half pennies. I hear American Nickels aren't doing much better then pennies.

To laughinReaper: I remember the penny postcard!

http://aolsearcht.search.aol.com/aol/imageq=picture+of+penny+postcard&v_t=keyword_rollover

Here’s a history of postage stamp rates:

History of United States postage rates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia