The United States Mint has, on its own law-making “authority”, made it illegal to melt your pennies and nickels, carry coins out of the country for anything other than “legitimate coinage and numismatic purposes”, or take more than $100 worth of pennies and nickels out in any one shipment. It seems that a melted-down zinc penny is currently worth 1.12¢, a melted-down copper penny is worth 2.13¢, and a melted-down nickel is worth 6.99¢. The federal price to pay for doing something that is not lucrative short of melting billions of coins – 5 years in Club Fed and $10,000 (plus the seizure of everything you own as you’re treated like a drug dealer).
Who the fuck does the Mint think it is, Congress?
