A Eulogy for the American Penny
A Eulogy for the American Penny
By Ricky Fitzpatrick for The Creative South
Well, it finally happened.
After 235 years of loyal service, the American penny, the humble copper(ish) coin that bought our childhood bubble gum, and kept our grandmamas’ Mason jars filled with purpose, is being escorted out of circulation like an elderly uncle who’s said one comment too many at Thanksgiving.
I can’t say I’m surprised, though. We all knew the day was coming.
It costs more than a penny to make a penny. Which is a very American thing, when you think about it.
But still… this one hurts.
The penny isn’t just a coin. It’s an era.
It’s the soundtrack of piggy banks rattling on Christmas morning. It’s the glint of copper in the grocery store parking lot.
And now? It’s gone. Off to that great CoinStar in the sky.
The first U.S. penny rolled out in 1793, back when George Washington was still breaking in his presidential boots. And over time, the penny slimmed down, spruced up, and eventually settled into the little copper-coated circle we know today.
A coin so common it ended up in every couch, pocket, drawer, and automobile ashtray in America.
But what really breaks my heart is the thought of all the Southern sayings that will die along with it. Because Southerners don’t just use pennies. We talk in pennies.
“Penny for your thoughts?” That’s not just a question. It’s an invitation… the way your mama might ask what’s weighing on your heart.
“A penny saved is a penny earned.” That’s every granddaddy in Georgia, dispensing financial advice while jingling the contents of his pockets.
“Not one red cent.” If you ever heard that from a Southern parent, you knew negotiations were over.
These little sayings carried warmth, wisdom, and just enough twang to remind you where you came from.
But without the penny… well, something about them just doesn’t sound the same.
I suppose Piggy Banks will somehow feel hollow and betrayed without the penny.
And pickle jars (once home to generations of greasy, copper-tinted savings) will be forced to hold something far less respectable… like cotton balls, or mismatched screws, or the key to a padlock nobody has seen since 1994.
And my Lord, what about SPLOST? The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax has relied on pennies for decades.
Now we’re supposed to build a new elementary school on what? Nickels?
If Jackson County ever announces a “nickel tax,” I predict pandemonium.
For all its flaws, its low value, its tendency to multiply in junk drawers like rabbits… the penny stood for something.
It was our smallest investment in a bigger idea. Proof that tiny things matter. Evidence that even in a modern world of digital currency and tap-to-pay, there was still room for something modest, simple, and extremely easy to lose.
And now we’re being told that the penny has “outlived its usefulness”.
But you know, there are a lot of small things that still bring us joy.
Like hand-written notes. Or fried bologna sandwiches. Or leaving church early to beat the Baptists to lunch.
I can’t help but think that the penny has always been a reminder to us, that a rich life is very often built on little things.
So as we bid farewell to the humble American penny… filler of piggy banks, spark of childhood fortunes, backbone of building projects… I’ll leave you with this:
Sometimes the smallest things leave the biggest holes when they’re gone.