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In terms of purchasing power, no.
Inflation rate = increasing prices of everything = 1p gets you less stuff.

In terms of Joy, recent studies show they may have actually risen in value.

Intriguingly, and thankfully, there are STILL 1p sweets in the world! (The main component of Penny Expenditure). This means one can still go to a newsagents, pick up a gummy bear, or other disconcertingly-brightly-colou red-glutinous-citric-acid-flav oured awesomeness and pay for it with the small coin one found in the gutter outside! HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO.

Incidentally, this has always been a source of great pleasure to me. Increasingly so in these recent hard times of severe penny-priced goods.

I strongly suggest a Fund for all those out there who are reading this and thinking "what a genius." A couple of other genii and myself maintained a Skittle Fund for several years, up to age of 18, where we collected pennies, and on good days tuppences, from the ground, saved them until we could afford to purchase one packet Skittles (rainbow coloured hyperactivity inducing buttons of joy). Which we would group in colour and then divide among us carefully.

What larks.

The other important use of pennies: for the Bringing About of Good Luck.
(you know, "see a penny, pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck!")
Luck is extraordinarily hard to come by in these modern times, (well the good kind anyway) so pennies are a good way of boosting your supply.

They are also an excellent way of encouraging generosity in this selfish world.
("give the penny to a friend, and then your luck will never end").

This rule may be be abused in the curious practice of "Pennying" where a penny slyly dropped in someone else's drink renders them obliged to down the drink in one.
I'm not sure I condone this, as it not only increases the risk of DRUNKEN BEHAVIOUR, but also poses serious health threats to the drinker, (metal poisoning, choking etc.) especially if aforementioned penny has just been found on the ground.

Learn more about this author, Lisa Wu.
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