The two most common U.S. coins were due for a face-lifting last week. To save copper, nickel and tin, the Mint announced that:
>Nickels, now one part nickel and three parts copper, will be coined half of silver, half of copper. Net saving on a year's new coinage: 434 tons of nickel, 434 tons of copper. (The Senate Judiciary Committee last week approved a bill authorizing this change.)
>Pennies, now 95% copper, 4% zinc, 1% tin, will contain no tin, use more zinc instead. Net saving: 45 tons of tin. (To change the penny's content, no legislation is required.)
It will cost the...