Looked at my father's old penny and nickel coin collection today. I found a hand full of Canadian pennies. Most around 1950s, one 1920. I understand they don't make them any more. Not enough to recycle for copper. Any ideas what to do with them? I called one place to inquire about selling his collection. Doesn't sound like there is much interest any more.

They are excellent when used as a shim on a battery post. By that, I mean, if your c-clamp style battery cable connection gets loose, you can use the penny as a shim between the battery post and the cable clamp to get things tight again.

That is indeed a practical use. I collect stamps + coins + those aren't worth saving. We all hope for a pot of gold under the rainbow but sadly most of the old coinage is not worth anything over face anymore; sometimes not that; but gold coins?! Now that is a horse of a different color, regardless of denomination. I will add that several years ago we used Mexican Pesos to form into buttons on jackets + belts. Then the market was gone because the smelters worked the border + bought up all the pesos because it was worth more as base metal than as currency.

If I could find 22 ammo or powder and primers I would use them targets. Hey! buy a metal detector, bury them and keep the grandkids busy!!!!

Years ago they were used when you didn't have any household fuses.

Hip

AHEM, not just years ago.

Our government stopped making pennies a while back, prices are rounded up or down but millions in circulation though. Maybe in a hundred years they'll have collector value.

Grizz

Years ago I bought my boys those blue coin collectors books for wheat pennies + we used to still find them in our change, not anymore though; it's been a long time since 1959. In the early 80s I was in a coin + stamp store + bought something + in my change the guy gave me an Indian head nickel. I asked him if he meant to do that + he said, sure, the date was almost gone so it's worth a nickel. He said he liked to play that trick on kids that came in the store. When they saw what was in their change, their eyes roved the room, clutched their change + ran out of the store. Good fun.