dollar coins

The US Mint saw sweeping success with its decade long run of state quarters.  The Gold Dollar coins featuring US Presidents are proving much less popular.  The US Mint has announced that they are halting production of the gold coins.  The coins had been produced by the US Mint locations in Philadelphia and Denver, and the Denver Post reports that

Here’s your science and economic lesson for the day…Our money is printed on paper that's 75% cotton, 25% linen.  Cotton prices have been skyrocketing and it's gotten to the point where the cost of the cotton plus the cost of manufacturing each bill is more than $1. In other words, dollar bills are worth less than the paper they're printed on.