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History of the penny
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Have a good look at the penny, what do you see? You probably see nothing but a copper coated circular poor valued cent. Little does everyone know pennies have been around longer than before their grandparents, even their great-grandparents! Matter of fact, it was around so long ago that Abraham Lincoln’s face was not the first design on the penny. I ask that you take the time to consider the American penny’s worth. Without the people’s belief in its value, the penny will be abolished. I see people every day throwing away a penny rather than to put it in their pocket and save it for future uses. Yes a penny is "outdated, almost worthless, bothersome and wasteful" (Safire) piece of junk, but it's has an economic, cultural, and historical significance to the United States of America. The problem is that nobody pays attention to that, and that gives pennies the image of no value. Three good solutions to show the pennies worth include: tolls and vending machines accepting the coin, more charities to keep their penny drives, and historical evidence of what the penny mean to America so that it can be passed on to the future generations.
It has been said that Lincoln was not the first face on the penny, “Benjamin Franklin reportedly designed the first American penny in 1787(Cohen).” Back then the penny was known as “Fugio” and it had an image of a sun and sundial above the message “Mind Your Business.” Also, on the cent appeared a chain with thirteen links, each represents the first colonies established, and on the other side of it was the motto “We Are One”. It was not until 1909 that Teddy Roosevelt introduced the Lincoln cent to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of America’s 16th president birth. Then fifty years later the Lincol...
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... our senseless jingling"(Safire). We have something they do not, and my friend and young educators is the pointless but historical one cent U.S. penny. Three good solutions to show the pennies worth include: tolls and vending machines accepting the coin, more charities to keep their penny drives, and historical evidence of what the penny mean to America so that it can be past on to the future generations.
Works Cited
Safire, William. "Abolish the Penny." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 June 2004. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
Cohen, Jennie. "10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Penny." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
"The Penny's Economic Importance." The Penny's Economic Importance. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"The United States Mint • Coins & Medals." The United States Mint • Coins & Medals. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
After moving to Chicago, Harvey established a printing press and published a weekly magazine called “Coin”. Although his printing company was unsuccessful, he wrote and published a series of inexpensive books called “Coin’s Financial School,” dedicated to the idea of replacing gold with silver as the monetary system. These books not only gave Harvey the nickname he would be known as for the rest of his life, b...
The Penny is a wonderful coin. It might only be worth one cent but that one cent can help people in all sought's of situations. The penny should kept in circulation. There are many people that use the penny still in today’s society.
Even though members of Congress are trying to ban to penny, Americans can spare the time to use them. In Ric Kahn’s
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and dimed: on (not) getting by in America. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Print.
Replacing Jackson from the twenty dollar bill could only benefit America 's image problem. Acknowledging the injustices of history, America would reflect intolerance for hypocrisy, and a progress from the past. The replacement would show that America promotes power in both morality and justice.
Sosin, Jack M. "Imperial Regulation of Colonial Paper Money, 1764–1773". Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 88, Number 2 (April 1964), 174–98.
Greenspan, Alan. "321gold: Gold and Economic Freedom by Alan Greenspan 1966.” 3 2 1 g o l
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York: Picador, 2011. Print.
Andrew Jackson’s presidency could easily be described as one of the most controversial ones of all time. Honoring Jackson by putting his face on the 20 dollar bill in 1928 was an absolute mistake for the country. Jackson does not deserve his existing place on the 20 dollar bill. His policies towards the “Spoils System”, Native Americans, and Vetoes can all establish why Jackson is so unworthy of praise. Jackson’s abuse of power throughout his entire presidency makes him the perfect target for a deserved hatred from the American people.
In 2001, United Sates Representative Jim Kolbe proposed a legislation to Congress to dispose the penny coin from the currency of America because of its small impact. Although his legislation failed, most people currently argue about the penny’s existence today. Even though the penny stood as a mark of history, it is useless and should be eliminated from America’s currency.
Since his debouchment into American politics in the early 19th Century, nearly every American has had an opinion about Andrew Jackson. His legacy defined an entire age of American history and has resided with us in our wallets for nearly nine decades. American identity has rapidly changed throughout the last few years. Naturally, the meaning of Andrew Jackson in American history is the topic of many of these discussions. I believe that while Old Hickory was one of the most important presidents in our history, it is time to leave that legacy behind. We as Americans are gradually reaching out to the margins of our society. Diversity and inclusion are now among our most sacred values. A reasonable next step in the definition of contemporary American identity would be to reevaluate who we honor on our currency.
The penny has been in America for centuries, it's a sentimental object for Americans everywhere. However many have debated on whether or not it should be eliminated or continue being made. The penny should be preserved because it is apart of American culture, given to charity, and keeps items cheap.
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. New York: Metropolitan, 2001. Print.
Andrew Jackson became the United States of America’s seventh president in the year 1829. Born into poverty, Jackson received fame as a military hero and grew popular by representing the “common man”. He quickly became America's most influential political figure at the time. After such a polarizing career, Andrew Jackson was put onto the present day $20 dollar bill. In recent years there has been questioning by the american citizens about Andrew Jackson's qualifications. I agree that a man responsible for genocide and economic tolls on the country should not be represented on the bill.
Ehrenreich Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America Henry Holt and Company, 2010