Why pennies are bad for people and the economy
Posted by Richard on January 25, 2012
Colin Gregory Palmer Grey, who apparently divides his time between time management coaching, public speaking, and producing informative and amusing videos on a wide variety of subjects, thinks that it’s time to kill the penny. Watch this clever video and see if you don’t agree.
Grey’s mention of the half-penny brought back a memory. In Britain, the half-penny persisted much longer than in the U.S. (until 1969, according to Wikipedia), and they called it a “ha’penny” (pronounced “hay-penny”). Back in my youth, I really liked Peter, Paul, and Mary, and they had a lovely song about wassailing in England called “A Soalin'” that includes this lyric:
I have a little pocket to put a penny in
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do
If you haven’t got a ha’penny, then God bless you
Here’s a nice 1964 performance:
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