That grimy, circular piece of copper and zinc known as the penny is no longer being produced, but the tiny coin is still getting the last laugh. Less than a month after the last one was minted on Nov. 12, there are growing penny shortages all over the US, and stores are actually paying people to bring them in as businesses fear they could lose millions of dollars.

What's that old saying? You don't miss something until it's gone? Maybe the penny was more important than we thought. But the old one-cent coin had been fighting a losing battle for respect for years. You can't buy anything with them anymore, not even a gumball. Most of us just toss them into a junk drawer or a glass jar. A sad penny can even lie on a sidewalk all day and not get scooped up.

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