A penny, which used to cost less than 1 cent to make, now costs 3.7. In 2011, a quarter was cheaper to make than a nickel; today the two coins cost about the same.

The impending "death" of the U.S. penny has spotlighted the coin's own price tag — nearly 4 cents to make and distribute each, or quadruple its value.

It’s time for a bold, uniquely American solution: along with the recently announced penny, eliminate the nickel and the dime. Let the quarter rule. This isn’t satire. It’s efficiency.

America could kill both the penny and the nickel, the two money-losers on its roster of coins. But without pennies or nickels, how would a consumer pay a 15-cent tab?

Data from the U.S. Treasury shows that it costs nearly 4 cents to produce a single penny and nearly 14 cents to produce a nickel.

Opinion: Instead of a penny, how about a nickel for your thoughts?

Why It Matters: According to a report by ABC, pro-penny lobby Americans for Common Cents argues that killing the cent just shifts losses to the nickel, which now costs nearly 14 cents to make.

In addition to eliminating penny production within a year of its enactment, the bill would require that cash transactions be rounded to the nearest nickel.

A nickel may be worth 5 cents but costs nearly 14 cents to make. With the penny possibly being eliminated, the Treasury wants a new, cheaper nickel.