It costs 1.4 cents to make a penny - Mint announces they are making four new pennies

[jeffrey]

Abraham Lincoln's penny has been around since 1909, when it was inaugurated with several firsts. It was the first U.S. coin to include the words "In God We Trust," and the first to include a portrait. "A strong feeling had prevailed against using portraits on our coins," said a Treasury Department fact sheet, "but public sentiment stemming from the 100th anniversary celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birth proved stronger than the long-standing prejudice."

Now, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abe's birth, the U.S. Mint is planning to release four new Lincoln pennies this year. Of course these days, given the rising price of zinc and copper, it costs about 1.4 cents to make a penny. As the Washington Post suggested, maybe Congress should change the metal content of the coin to steel...

Lincoln's penny gets a new look -- actually four new looks | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

[disneysteve]

I wonder how much of our money they spend paying the sculptors, making all new dies, retooling everything, publicizing the new coins, etc.

[cicy33]

Somehow, I am not surprised. Hmm, our government spending more money than it actually needs to create something or fix something?

[simpleyme]

the penny is a big loss so what do they do? figure out a way to make it a bigger loss

I have watched shows(on Discovery) on how complicated and expensive it is to design coins

[JBinKC]

The value of the metal content in a post 1982 penny is only 28% of its value which is the lowest it has been in decades yet this is the highest quoted cost for a penny I have seen.

Either the cost of the new design has been exorbitant or its more garbage/spin statistics our government is famous for.