Getting rid of the penny.

I know that periodically there are discussions in the US about getting rid of the penny because it costs more to make than it´s worth. But it never goes anywhere and it probably isn´t even a very serious discussion. And there are a lot more pressing economic issues than the cost of producing pennies...like pouring borrowed money down rat holes in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But, for what it is worth, Brasil got rid of its one-cent coin in 2005. Individual items are still priced at R$x.99, or whatever, but the total purchase price at checkout is always rounded to the nearest 5 or 0 if you pay with cash. You are charged the exact amount if you pay with a credit or debit card. It seems like a very reasonable practice to me, and I can´t help but wonder if there was an emotional social debate about it before the change was made. I´d bet not. Brasileans are accustomed to changes in their money. The current monetary unit is the Real, but as recently as the 1990s it was the Cruzeiro. And the coins themselves haven´t always had the same size or color. In my coin purse right now I have different types of (to use US terms) nickels, dimes and quarters.

I saw a one-cent coin once and it looked exactly like the 10-cent coin. In fact I probably had it because someone gave it to me in change as a dime.

That´s all. Just wanted yáll to know that life without a one-cent coin is ok.