coins news stories on Newser

Canada Phasing Out Pennies

Rob Quinn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:01:00 CDT

The Canadian government has decided to save millions of dollars by pinching the penny out of existence. The Royal Canadian Mint—which makes 25 pennies per Canadian every year, at a cost of 1.5 cents per coin—will stop producing pennies next month, and the government will start withdrawing...

People Left $409K in Coins at Airport Checkpoints

John Johnson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:27:25 CST

Your weird stat of the day, courtesy of the Hill : Passengers left behind $409,085.56 in spare change while going through airport security checkpoints last year. The biggest haul by far came at JFK, where about $47,000 was collected, followed by Los Angeles International ($19,000), Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson...

Burglars Steal Rare Coins Then Make Very Dumb Move

Matt Cantor — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:26:05 CST

A group of burglars stole a coin collection worth thousands and proceeded to pour it into a coin-counting machine, resulting in a $450 payoff. Authorities say one of the thieves—who also stole jewelry and tools—was the Oregon victim's son. "The crooks were idiots, just simply an idiot," said...

Tiny Island to Mint Star Wars Currency

Matt Cantor — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:24:19 CDT

Move over, Queen Elizabeth: Luke Skywalker and friends will soon be sharing a spot on the currency of a tiny Pacific island. Yoda, Leia, and Darth Vader also will appear on the flip side of the soon-to-be-minted coins for the island of Niue. It’s the first time Star Wars characters...

Family Fights US Mint Over Rare Coins

Luke Kelly-Clyne — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:22:35 CDT

A Philadelphia family is going head-to-head with the US government in a legal battle over ownership of 10 rare "double-eagle" coins worth $20 each when minted, and now valued in the millions. The coins were first produced by the US Mint in 1933 but never distributed. All but two were...

2,200-Year-Old Coin Found in Israel

Nick McMaster — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:11:24 CDT

A 2,200-year-old gold coin has been found in Israel. The artifact, which is being hailed as one of the rarest to be found in the country's history, is a nearly a full ounce—about five times heavier than the typical coin of the era. It comes from Alexandria, having...

Penny, Nickel Overhaul Makes No Sense to Many

Jane Yager — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:30:00 CDT

President Obama's plan to save $100 million a year by making pennies and nickels from cheaper material may seem like a no-brainer, but the idea of changing the country's small change isn't an easy one to swallow for some. Laundromat owners, zinc lobbyists, and the many Americans who mistakenly believe...

Bizarre New Design Ruins Our 'Humble Penny'

John Johnson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:42:00 CST

The newly designed penny continues the long tradition of ugly-looking US currency, writes William Bostwick. The front of the 2010 cent looks generally the same, but the back now has a Union shield in place of the Lincoln Memorial. That's only "the most emotionally and socially charged building in the...

Coin in This Year's Super Bowl Is Out of This World

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:33:45 CST

By the time the coin in this year's Super Bowl lands heads or tails tonight, it will have more than 4 million miles under its belt, reports Space.com . The gold-plated coin accompanied shuttle Atlantis on its 11-day mission in November, and is the first to have flown in space...