Jazz Great Ellington Will Grace DC Quarter

Many resistant to changing small change

(NEWSER) - President Obama's plan to save $100 million a year by making pennies and nickels from cheaper material may seem like a no-brainer, but the idea of changing the country's small change isn't an easy one to swallow for some. Laundromat owners, zinc lobbyists, and the many Americans who mistakenly believe the value of the metal in their currency determines its worth are expected to rally against the proposed changes, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

No more Lincoln Memorial? What a shame

(NEWSER) - The newly designed penny continues the long tradition of ugly-looking US currency, writes William Bostwick. The front of the 2010 cent looks generally the same, but the back now has a Union shield in place of the Lincoln Memorial. That's only "the most emotionally and socially charged building in the country," Bostwick complains at Fast Company . More»

Literally—it was on Atlantis spaceflight

(NEWSER) - By the time the coin in this year's Super Bowl lands heads or tails tonight, it will have more than 4 million miles under its belt, reports Space.com . The gold-plated coin accompanied shuttle Atlantis on its 11-day mission in November, and is the first to have flown in space that will be used in a Super Bowl. The mint that produced it will release 10,000 duplicates. More»

(NEWSER) - Marian Anderson shattered a racial barrier when she sang at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, 1939—70 years ago this week—yet despite planned tributes, the power of the moment has faded, Alex Ross writes in the New Yorker. Most young people know nothing of Anderson, and "black faces remain scarce" in classical music. "A colorline persists, more often politely ignored than confronted directly." More»

Commemorative issue marks Lincoln's 200th birthday, and the coin's 100th

(NEWSER) - The US Mint today unveiled four new designs that will adorn the back of the Lincoln penny next year to commemorate the bicentennial of Honest Abe’s birth, CNNMoney reports. The classic portrait of the 16th president will remain on the heads side. The reverse will depict scenes from Lincoln’s life, from his humble beginnings to service as an Illinois state senator. More»