penny, it would make more sense to change the composition of the penny to a cheaper metal than zinc if the costs of zinc do not come down and there continues to be a significant loss per penny. The author of the paper, Raymond Lombra, debated penny elimination with another economist. Historical popular supportA poll conducted in June 2006 by USA Today/Gallup, found that 55% of the American public considered the penny to be a useful coin, while 43% of those surveyed were in favor of abolishing the coin. Increased cost Commissioned by Jarden Zinc, which supplies zinc "penny blanks" to the Mint, a report conducted by Navigant Consulting found that the government would lose money without the penny. According to Americans for Common Cents' website, "First, the Mint's fabrication and distribution costs include fixed components that will continue to be incurred whether or not the Mint produces the penny. Navigant estimates this fixed component at in FY 2011. Plus, there is in Mint overhead allocated to the penny that would have to be absorbed by the remaining denominations of circulating coins without the penny. Second, under current Mint accounting, the nickel costs eleven cents to manufacture. In a scenario (unlikely to occur) where nickel production doubled without the penny, Navigant concludes that with existing fixed costs, eliminating the penny would likely result in increased net costs to the Mint of , relative to the current state." Nickels As of 2022, nickels cost to produce and distribute, providing an argument for elimination similar to the penny's production at a loss. The current face value of a nickel is also well below that which the last remaining lowest-denomination coin (the penny) held at the time of the half-cent's elimination in 1857. Lobbying The sole provider of zinc "penny blanks," Jarden Zinc Products of Greeneville, Tennessee, has hired lobbyists to make the case for preserving the penny and their sales. The coin lobby Citizens to Retire the Penny support the elimination of the United States one-cent coin. The Coin Coalition of vending machine manufacturers, arcade owners, and soft drink companies supports eliminating the penny and the paper dollar bill. Some question was raised about the Obama Administration being particularly opposed to elimination of a coin that depicted another president from Illinois, but the Chicago Tribune ran an editorial in favor of abolition. Other options Economist François R. Velde suggested in 2007 that