U.s.Mint

A penny, on its face, is worth one cent. But melted down for the copper it contains, it could be worth quite a bit more. So why not mine our piggy banks for metal?

According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, if America gets rid of its $1 bill and replaces it with a dollar coin, the U.S. will save $5.5 billion on printing costs over the next 30 years. That's a whole lot of dollars.

Everyone now knows the federal government is about to run up against its limit for borrowing money, but everyone also knows that governments can -- and do -- just print the stuff. Washington owns the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Could the way to sidestep this looming crisis be just making more money?

Did you know that the new coins in your pocket are signed by the original artists who designed them? I went to the United States mint in Philadelphia to meet some of the faces who create the money we all spend every day. I also found out how our national coin-making process has moved into the...

Earlier this week, NPR reported that the U.S. Mint will make 3 billion coins in 2009, as opposed to the 10 billion it created in 2008. It's the smallest amount in 50 years, the flagging retail economy is the reason.That information in itself is interesting, but as it turns out, the U.S. Mint may be...

The U.S. Mint is officially the P.T. Barnum of currency. It's addicted to showmanship. Yesterday, in a heartwarmingly goofy ceremony at Washington DC's Lincoln Memorial, an actor dressed as Abe unveiled its four new designs for the penny, all of which will be released in 2009 to commemorate the...