On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:20:50 +0900, Miles Bader wrote:

Japanese yen coins are made of aluminum, which is about 1/3 the cost
of copper per unit weight, and 1/4 the weight per unit volume, so
you'd get a factor of 12 drop in material cost per coin -- and then
you could even make the coin smaller!

The before-1980-inflation Israeli equivalent to a one-cent piece was
about a centimeter in diameter, made of aluminium with large scalloped
edges - very easy to identify. (Un)fortunately, they are all out of
current circulation because they don't buy anything in today's
economy.
--

Phil Kane - Beaverton, OR
PNW Beburg MP 28.0 - OE District