Remaking The Penny, Perhaps.

The House voted unanimously to change the materials used to make pennies and nickels because of surging metal prices. But the Mint opposes the measure, saying it should have the final authority to decide how coins are made. The bill would require making pennies from copper-plated steel rather than zinc and copper; the change would reduce the cost per coin to 0.7 cents from 1.26 cents, according to the Mint and Representative Zack Space, Democrat of Ohio, who is one of the measure's sponsors. It also would require nickels, now made of copper and nickel at a cost of 7.7 cents, to be made primarily of steel, which would drop the cost to under 5 cents. Advocates say the change would save the country $100 million a year. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]