I FELT A LITTLE SAD this morning when the header on Google reminded me that the official retirement of the Canadian penny starts today February 4, 2013. There are billions still floating around in my world so it will take several years to get them out of circulation.
My mom used to save coins that would soon be extinct and now here I am starting to save the little pennies that land in my change purse and pocket. I used to include an actual penny in some of my Penelope Puddle greeting cards that read “Here’s Your Lucky Penny” on the inside. It was a perfect play on my character’s name. I have also always thought that the Penelope drawings are, like the song says, "pennies from heaven" because turning them into greeting cards provides me with hours of creative fun and an escape from daily stresses and an abundance of gray rainy days. As the photo (above) shows, my daughter also drew Penny dancing on the White Rock pier. The card I call “Singing In The Rain” is reminiscent of Gene Kelly dancing with an umbrella in the much-loved 1952 movie classic.
I will no doubt find something creative to do with the discarded coins. Some people are starting to collect them for charities. The abandoned penny with its very tiny bit of copper plating does weight heavily in the pockets of many and can make counting a bit awkward I suppose but I didn’t want to see it go. Now the larger Canadian nickel that is worth five cents will do the task of one penny and surely up the cost of goods and services by four cents in the end.
You can read the history of the one-cent piece here.
Although the penny has not been produced since May, 2012, and will not be distributed by the government starting today, I like to think it will make a comeback in some new form one day.
Although the penny has not been produced since May, 2012, and will not be distributed by the government starting today, I like to think it will make a comeback in some new form one day.
I wonder ... will Canada be as lucky as it perhaps was prior to kicking the penny out of circulation? This could be a tongue-in-cheek topic worth exploring in future as well why the coin is considered lucky.
Due to the unexpected topic in the news I find myself having to choose between two posts (see post below) in one week to link to Our World.
Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.
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That is momentous. Pennies show up so often in literature and songs that it seems odd not to have them. We still have pennies in the U.S. but I recall hearing discussions in the past about discontinuing them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard/read the same things that Carver has! It is sad, I think!
ReplyDeleteI still have a jar if you're short!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteyes, it is sad to see them go.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! A penny for your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit!
I read about this in the weekend newspapers. I wonder how long it will be before they take away our 1p.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I am not sure if I would miss the penny. Thanks for sharing, have a happy week!
ReplyDeleteI read the same news this morning, and wish our government south of your border would be smart enough to do the same thing here!
ReplyDeleteHow sad though~
ReplyDeleteI too felt it was a sad day. Now some are talking of retiring the nickel. Hmmmm. Even "a nickel for your thoughts" may soon be out of date.
ReplyDeleteHi CameraGirl, Yes … I have just been hearing about the nickel also being in jeopardy. Most likely in the not so distant future there will be no coins or paper bills of any kind and one card connected to a bank account will do the trick. Perhaps it is for the best.
ReplyDeleteWell, Penelope, two posts, and each one a treasure. (I'm going to go back to read the previous one and leave a comment after I recover from the format woes that just about did me in on my last post :) I am one who always feels sad when I see people drop a penny and then walk on because they think it too lowly to bother picking up. Sometimes, I pick them up, put them in my pocket, and imagine I will be lucky that day. Sometimes, I leave them, thinking they may bring luck to the people who live in that area. I understand why they have been discontinued, but will, like you, miss their romance. I do love your greeting cards with drawings so full of life, and pennies attached. As for whether Canada's luck will change, I'm rather afraid to contemplate that, but found your point intriguing :)
ReplyDeleteI am also sad to see it go, there are so many references to pennies in our history, I wonder whether they will disappear too.
ReplyDeleteOh, a sign of the times, that the penny is going. I know a Canadian one isn't worth as much as an English one. And at least they're not supposed to be lucky, here. Now getting rid of something that is a national luck symbol WOULD make me fret! :D
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