A penny won't get you very far today.

The average New Yorker likely won't bother to pick one up if found lying in the street and many are proud to tell a cashier to "keep the change" on a $2.99 tab.

In fact, the often difficult to discard copper-colored coin is more likely to be found at the bottom of a purse or in a jar established by parents optimistically encouraging their young ones to save for the future. Even the "Take a Penny, Leave a Penny" trays found at some retailers lost their appeal years ago.

But while the penny has virtually no monetary value in today's society, its worth was never fully measured by its purchasing power.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

The U.S. Mint pressed its final run of the penny on Wednesday, ending production of the 1-cent coin after more than 230 years of ci

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