Informative Speech About Pennies

"A penny saved is a penny earned" is a beloved well-known saying, along with "A penny for your thoughts?" But, let me tell you: your thoughts are worth more than a penny, and so are most things. The penny debate in the United States has gone on for years, accompanying the continuing inflation of U.S. currency, the decreasing value of the penny and U.S. dollar. Pennies are currently produced at a loss. According to the U.S. Mint Department of Treasury, at the end of 2012, the cost of production of a penny was 1.66 cents. The U.S. is losing money while making money. I know that pennies are bad for the economy and impractical in 2015. However, when I see a penny on the ground, I will undoubtedly go out of my way to pick it up. The time it takes handling pennies is literally not worth my time, assuming my time is worth between minimum wage and the average wage in the U.S. In my head, I know all the facts: pennies are generally bad. Even so, I have such a strong connection, rooted in my love for Abraham Lincoln and my affinity for all coins, to the copper coin. Therein lies the problem: what should we do with the penny?

I am on both sides of the penny argument.

I have given a detailed speech on why pennies are not worth it, yet, the next day, I declared my love for the shiny coin when I found a stray on the ground. “I’m one cent richer,” I exclaimed. My love for the penny is something I have in common with many Americans. The penny-lovers might be thinking, "We can't get rid of the penny! We're Americans. See, there's Honest Abe Lincoln. He deserves his place here immortalized on this coin." I share this sentiment, but Lincoln still has the five dollar bill and the Lincoln Memorial. On the other hand, the penny is bad for the environment (Mining creates pollution.), dangerous to people and pets (It is 97% zinc.), and essentially useless to the consumer in

2015.
A possible solution that might satisfy both sides of the debate is to stop producing pennies and turn Abraham Lincoln's birthday into a more celebrated holiday. The U.S. Mint could stop manufacturing the penny, and, like Canada and other sans-penny countries, a "rounding tax" would be put in place where you round to the nearest five cents when paying in cash. There are some people who believe that eliminating the penny would hurt the consumer who does not use a check or card so they would have to follow the rounding system, but according to research conducted in 2007, there is a slight gain, one cent for forty transactions, if any, so it is effectively zero. Additionally, to please the penny enthusiasts, Lincoln's birthday could be marketed as its own specific holiday, so as not to share the festivities on George Washington's birthday, or Presidents' Day. This day would be a time to celebrate Lincoln and fondly remember the penny annually. In elementary schools, kids could learn about Lincoln and the history of the penny and could color coloring pages of the different designs of the penny in the same vain that St. Patrick's Day and Thanksgiving are celebrated.
The U.S. economy would benefit from the newly marketable holiday and the cessation of the deficit production of the penny. Also, the deficiencies of pennies and their production could begin to be amended. I believe my solution is practical, but it may not be the right one for the job of keeping Americans happy. Still, a solution must be implemented in order to help the environment and the country. In any case, the solution should include the removal of the penny from production. So, let me comfort the penny-lovers with this: A nickel saved is still a nickel earned.