TO COIN A PHRASE

The U.S. Mint produced a 1/2-cent coin from 1793 to 1859.  I'm sure it was not worth a cent.

The Indian government produced a copper coin from 1540 to 1545 called the "Dam".  Not sure what it was worth but it was the least of all their coins.  Something is almost worthless when it is not worth a Dam.

The Japanese government produced a "Rin" which was valued at 1/1000th of a Yen.  It was a copper coin introduced in 1873.  Did you think I was going to say that is was made out of tin . . . as in Rin Tin Tin?  They also have the "Sen" which is 1/100th of a Yen.

Part of the trick of coin minting is to make a coin that is worth very near but not too much more than the value of the material it takes to make it.  If it were worth more, counterfeiters would duplicate it.

*o*