I have a similar question. I always heard/read that the whole "pennies cost more to make than they're worth" argument was a red herring, in that it doesn't rea

I have a similar question. I always heard/read that the whole "pennies cost more to make than they're worth" argument was a red herring, in that it doesn't really matter how much they cost to make "at rest". But, rather, the value of a penny is in how much wealth it allows to be transferred over its life in circulation. In other words, if a penny does cost about 3.69 cents (or whatever they say the number is today) to mint, then it is "worth it" as long as the penny is used 4 times EVER. I'll admit that I really haven't given much thought to the topic in any case. But, even in just the time it's taking me to write this comment, I'm realizing it's probably a little of both "sides" being right. After all, a penny is both a medium of exchange as well as a store of wealth/value, depending on how you use it...