All the zinc that goes into pennies is worth $9 million per year, based on a back of the envelope calculation. Last year, zinc suppliers/miners sold $17.3 billi

All the zinc that goes into pennies is worth $9 million per year, based on a back of the envelope calculation. Last year, zinc suppliers/miners sold $17.3 billion of the metal, and will do even more this year. $9 million is less than a rounding error there.