The Great Coin Shortage of 2020

One of the unexpected side effects of the coronavirus pandemic has been a lack of coins circulating around the economy. Pocket change is at a premium as many businesses remain closed and the United States Mint operates at limited capacity. This development lends itself to a related discussion: the long-overdue elimination of the one-cent coin, which loses tens of millions of dollars for the Treasury each year, and the broader "war on cash."