Dear Mr. Rawles,
I was reading the post on Survivalblog regarding “A Practical Use for Post-1982 U.S. Zinc Pennies.” You may want to remind your readers that in December 2006, the U.S. Mint announced a regulation making it illegal to melt cents and nickels. While this regulation was obviously aimed at large-scale melters and not us “little guys,” the fact remains that the Mint considers the melting of these small-denomination coins illegal, and punishable by up to a $10,000 fine or up to five years in prison.
Of course, the feds won’t necessarily know if you or I are melting down coins in our backyard foundries, but it probably isn’t advisable to advocate such a practice on your web site. [JWR Adds: For the record, I advocate stockpiling pennies and nickels, in anticipation of a a future change in the anti-melting law.] And how they could possibly enforce this, well it would be nearly impossible. Speaking for myself, and off the record, if I want to melt a penny, the feds can go jump in a lake. It is my money after all. – Mr. Coin