A Penny for Your Thoughts? (The Penny Toy)

Tuesday,  March 12, 2013

A Penny for Your Thoughts

(The Penny Toy)

     The Canadian Penny saw its demise at the beginning of this month. Our intelligent government after spending countless millions on parliamentary committees over the last several decades, decided the penny had to go. First they shamelessly removed most of the copper from it, replacing that with zinc and other alloys. Then in their infinite wisdom,  they came up with the great idea of making it a dodecagon  (12 sided), figuring by making it straight-edged, instead of round, they could save money, by "squaring it off", rather than "rounding off" those areas. So now, all cash transactions (actual money changing hands) will now be "rounded up or down". $ 1.00 - $ 1.02 remains as a $ 1.00, while  $ 1.03 -$ 1.04 goes to $ 1.05. There have been rumours about eliminating the nickel, which hasn't had any nickel in it for 2 decades at least.  I'm glad to see how we "citizens" elect such smart people to make these decisions!

   For those who don't know,  I am assuming that a penny toy actually cost a penny from the 1890's-1920's. In my lifetime (1948- currently), I was able to by things for a penny.  There was the gum ball, peanuts from the candy dispenser, a nail, and a host of other things. I never smoked, but you could get a book of matches for 1c also.

     As far as the penny toy goes, it has has the last laugh, although I would assign the penny toy as a "she" if there was a gender to the toy. The toys that are presented on this page have been auctioned off anywhere from $ 100.00 - $ 1200.00, which as percentages would have yielded the great grandchildren or great-great grandchildren of their original familiar owners anywhere from 

100,000 - 120,000% returns on that original 1 cent investment. Bravo to the Penny Toy, and may she live forever!

Our Penny

1860's-2013)

Notice the penny on the right which is 12 sided to save those fractions in its production!

Notice also,how the government reverted to its round shape later! The figure on the heads part of the coin is Queen Elizabeth, while the tails part is our maple leaf.

I have to make an admission. In the 18 months that I have been writing this blog, I have not paid that much attention to the penny toy. My apologies- she deserves better! Where can you see so many toys with such diversity as the penny toy? And where could you get such a nice item for just a penny?

To quote a famous Poet:

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? (Hamlet, V.i) 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorick 

 The common incorrect quote that is used is "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well."

In this post's case, the sentence should read: "alas poor Penny, I knew her well."

   I hope you won't mind my tongue-in-cheek post today. I sometimes like to joke and today was an example.

Thanks for the visit,

and have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Spring is coming!

Stacey