title: Realm of the coin

The likeness of Abraham Lincoln is seen on a U.S. penny March 5 in Havertown, Pa. Data from airport security checkpoints show Americans aren't ready to give up their coins just yet.

It’s a tale told in nearly every culture throughout history. In the beginning, there was nothing. Then, poof, there was something.

The something in this case is the coin, a nearly useless artifact in today’s cashless society. Yet, despite the nearly ubiquitous use of credit cards, debit cards and contactless payment technologies, coins remain in circulation.

And while air travel demand has yet to fully recover from the pandemic, air passenger numbers are rising.

Together, the two trends suggest that the American consumer isn’t quite ready to abandon coins just yet.

Cashless technologies are quickly gaining popularity around the world. In many countries, coins have largely disappeared from daily use.

But in the U.S., coins are still a part of the fabric of society. They’re used to pay for small purchases, and they’re often collected by children and adults alike.

Coins also play an important role in U.S. history and culture. The likeness of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, is seen on every penny.

The penny was first introduced in 1864 during the Civil War to help fund the Union war effort. It’s also the lowest denomination coin in U.S. currency.

The coin was originally made of 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin. But in 1982, the composition was changed to 99.2 percent copper and 0.8 percent zinc to reduce costs.

Pennies are produced at the U.S. Mint’s facilities in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. Each coin has a letter "P," "D" or "S," respectively, on the lower right edge of the obverse, or heads, side to indicate the mint where it was made.

Pennies are also the only U.S. coins that can be collected in mint condition in rolls of 50 coins or in coin collecting sets, such as the Proof Set and the Silver Set.

Coins are still very much used in the U.S., though they are slowly being phased out.

Today, many stores accept a wide variety of contactless payment technologies, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

Cashless technologies are also being used by food delivery services, such as DoorDash, Instacart and Uber Eats.

Despite the growing popularity of cashless technologies, coins are still a part of American life. And while they may not be as necessary as they once were, they are still a symbol of U.S. history, culture and consumer behavior.

As the old saying goes, "Don't spend it all in one place." Or in this case, don't eat all the Slim Pale Ale in one sitting.