Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. For our last 10 minutes today, you are cordially invited to say goodbye and rest in peace to the penny or make up a new phrase to replace ones that use the word penny. 212-433-WNYC. Are any of you interested in doing either of those things? 212-433-9692. Call or text. Again, you are now cordially invited to say goodbye and rest in peace to the penny or make up a new phrase to replace ones that use the word penny. 212-433-WNYC. 433-9692. Why are we doing this? Well, in case you haven't heard, the US Treasury minted its final penny this week. They say it just doesn't make financial sense anymore. Each penny costs more than $0.03 to produce, according to the Treasury Department. Once the current supply runs down, that's it. No more new pennies as of this week. You are now cordially invited to say goodbye and rest in peace to the penny. Your very short nickel and dime eulogies for the penny. Are you going to miss the penny? Did you have a favorite penny?

Any coin collectors out there want to shout out a favorite or even a precious penny you may own or know about? I saw on eBay this morning there are a few what they call double die pennies, like two little impressions of Abraham Lincoln or the date. These are selling for thousands of dollars. Who has a precious penny story or maybe a lucky penny story? 212-433- WNYC. Also, if you work in or own a store, did pennies serve you or your business well? Are you glad to see them go? They are obsolete, right? Were they just a pain at this point?

Or part two, you can have some fun. I really hope some of you do this. You can have some fun making up a new phrase to replace ones that use the word penny. There are so many of them. A nickel for your thoughts. Does that work? Dime-wise and pound-foolish. In for a quarter, in for a pound. Will anybody ever say that? Did you ever buy a penny candy, like a little Mary Jane or something? Now they're $1.95 anyway. Maybe not that much. You can't have penny candies without pennies. Are they $0.50 piece pennies now, or how about that problem that keeps showing up like a bad dollar coin?

Or make up your own. How would you replace penny in any phrase in English now that it will be no more, or any 30-second eulogy for the penny? 212-433-9692. Call or text. Then we'll take them after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now to your short eulogies for the penny or your new phrases that would replace ones that have the word penny. Listener writes, "A quarter for your quandary." A lot of people are going to the crypto here. A bitcoin saved is a bitcoin earned. Bill in Larchmont has one. You're on WNYC. Hi, Bill.

Bill: Hey, Brian. Glad to talk to you. I just thought it would be nice if you could sing, or I could sing. Every time it rains, it rains nothing from heaven.

Brian Lehrer: [chuckles] Because there are no pennies. You did it. Thank you very much. Charles in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Charles.

Charles: Thank you very much. I just wanted to say-- saying goodbye to Lincoln's coin of color, it's like England saying we're down to our last shilling. I just wanted--

Brian Lehrer: Oh, that's really interesting because I hadn't even thought about the color of the penny, that copper color which makes it different from any other coin, which I guess all the others are silver, huh?

Charles: Totally.

Brain Lehrer: The Lincoln coin of color. Thank you for that. Arthur in the Florida Panhandle, you're on WNYC. Hi, Arthur.

Arthur: Oh my goodness. Long-time caller. First time get through. Penny saved, but penny saved is a dollar earned. Penny Lane, Beatles tune.

Brian Lehrer: Penny Lane. The Beatles are going to have to rename that album. It's going to be Quarter Lane. Does that work?

Arthur: Quarter Lane. [chuckles] Right. Then Pennies for UNICEF. I remember as a child collecting pennies for UNICEF. Then what was the last one? Ah, it slips my mind. I don't want to--

Brian Lehrer: Those are good, Arthur. Thank you very much. Let's go to Dino in the East Village. You're on WNYC. Hi, Dino.

Dino: Hi, Brian. You got the best show on radio. I'm calling because I'll mourn the loss of the penny because I believe it's been the hardest-working coin ever. It's collected billions of dollars in revenues for the government by being used to collect sales tax [inaudible 00:05:21] whenever I buy anything. I'll miss the penny, and I just want to say farewell and thanks for a job well done over all the years.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Listener writes, "When I heard at the beginning of the year that there was an intent to discontinue the penny, I began collecting a penny from every single year that it was in production from 1909 to 2025. So far, the oldest one I found is from 1918, but it's hard to find pennies predating the 1960s for my collection." Well, good luck finishing the set. They are still going to be out there for a while. James in Lindenhurst, you're on WNYC. Hi, James.

James: Hi, Brian. I agree. Best show on radio. The term penniless used to refer to someone who had nothing. Now I guess we're all penniless.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] We are all penniless. That's right. Now, listener texts, "See a penny, pick it up." There's another phrase. "See a penny, pick it up. All day long, you'll have good luck. RIP to the penny, rest in peace to the penny, and our luck," writes that listener. John in Westport wants to pick up on the Beatles Penny Lane reference. John, you're on WNYC. Hello.

John: Hi. I think Paul and Ringo are going to have to remaster that into Anthony Lane.

Brian Lehrer: Anthony Lane. Well, somebody's going to get political here. I should have known, given this show, somebody's going to get political on this sort of non-political segment. Robert in the Bronx, you're on WNYC. Hi, Robert.

Robert: Hi, Brian. I listen to your program every day if I can, and my contribution is a penny is not worth any of-- If you spent a penny for Mr. Trump's thoughts, you'd be overcharged.

Brian Lehrer: You messed it up, but I know what you were trying to do. [chuckles] A penny for your thoughts. You're trying to say if you paid a penny for Trump's thoughts, you'd be overcharged. I get it. Call us again. Dani in Tribeca has a penny story, I think. Hi, Dani.

Dani: Hi. Wow, so great to hear your voice. I've been a long, long time listener. My father used to count pennies all the time. That was his thing. He's passed now, but my partner and I were trying to think of a name to name our dog, and we came up with Penny. He said it, and I just started crying, and I was like, "Yes, that's the right name."

Brian Lehrer: You're going to rename the dog?

Dani: Oh, no, her name is Penny.

Brian Lehrer: That's it. You--

Dani: Oh, rename it now?

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Dani: No, I don't think so. No. It's for the memory of his hobby, but that's funny.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Hank and Fort Lee, you're on WNYC.

Hank: Hey, Brian. I'm wondering what's going to happen with the penny arcades.

Brian Lehrer: I think it already costs $3.50, doesn't it?

Hank: Yes, you probably have to get one of those pay-for cards, so great--

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. One last one in a text because you can't keep a punster down. The end of the penny marks the end of common sense. That's The Brian Lehrer Show for today, produced by Lisa Allison, Mary Croke, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, and Esperanza Rosenbaum. Zach Gottehrer-Cohen produces our daily politics podcast. We had Shayna Sengstock and Milton Ruiz at the audio controls. Stay tuned for All Of It.

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