The government loses nearly three cents on every penny it mints. On a nickel, it loses nearly nine cents. More nickels would mean steeper losses. America could kill both the penny and the nickel, the two money-losers on its roster of coins.

The United States Treasury has put in its final order of pennies, and production is expected to end early next year. Here's what you should know.

Got a piggy bank full of pennies? The small currency will soon be a thing of the past, but don't think you are sitting on a gold mine just yet.