It’s with sadness that I write this post.

This week marked the end of the Canadian penny. The 1 cent. That little copper coin that barely contained any actual copper. It’s the end of an era.

Having been in circulation since 1858, the penny has become a part of Canada’s identity. The iconic picture of  two maple leaves on a twig – a symbol that is synonymic with the True North, strong and free. The obverse boasts the side profile of our Queen – Elizabeth II – the tie that binds us to the United Kingdom. To England. To the Commonwealth.

It’s all very historical and sentimental and being a lover of history (and the UK) I am saddened. Like so many other things in modern day society, the penny is disappearing. Those tiny almost copper coins have been a part of my life since childhood. I have fond memories of collecting them in jars, sorting them into piles of 100 and getting excited when I had enough to trade them in for ‘real’ money.

Yes, the penny and I have history. We have a past.

Sure we’ll still see each other for awhile. Maybe you’ll be shiny and happy to see me. Or perhaps you’ll be a little dirty and dull, looking worse for wear. We’ll share a laugh at the idiom about you and then sink into a reflective sadness that one day in the future a parent will say,

Penny for your thoughts!

and a child will look up quizzically and ask,

What’s a penny?

Then one day it will happen. I’ll walk into a store and I’ll notice that you’ve disappeared completely. Nothing left but a memory; a lesson taught in a history class.

You’ve been a real trooper and I salute you.

Alas, every cloud has a silver lining and this tale is no exception. At least my wallet and pockets won’t be quite so heavy anymore. 🙂