This legislation aims to update United States coinage by modifying the specifications for the five-cent coin and eliminating the one-cent coin. A primary objective is to reduce the cost of coin production for the Treasury. Specifically, the bill mandates that the Secretary of the Treasury cease production of the one-cent coin , though existing pennies will retain their status as legal tender and new ones may be produced for numismatic purposes. For the five-cent coin , it introduces flexibility by allowing an alternative composition consisting of an inner layer of zinc and an outer layer of nickel. The Secretary is authorized to prescribe the precise zinc and nickel composition for this new five-cent coin, provided it reduces production costs and meets weight specifications between 4 and 6 grams.
This legislation aims to update United States coinage by modifying the specifications for the five-cent coin and eliminating the one-cent coin. A primary objective is to reduce the cost of coin production for the Treasury. Specifically, the bill mandates that the Secretary of the Treasury cease production of the one-cent coin , though existing pennies will retain their status as legal tender and new ones may be produced for numismatic purposes. For the five-cent coin , it introduces flexibility by allowing an alternative composition consisting of an inner layer of zinc and an outer layer of nickel. The Secretary is authorized to prescribe the precise zinc and nickel composition for this new five-cent coin, provided it reduces production costs and meets weight specifications between 4 and 6 grams.