First, it was toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Those were among the first items to fly off the shelves as COVID-19 took hold, prompting stay-at-home orders and the closure of nonessential businesses. Then came the meat shortage, and a persistent lack of surface wipes. The latest commodity to come up short? Pocket change, Banks around the U.S. are running low on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, prompting the Federal Reserve, to ration scarce supplies. The shortage has been fueled by two factors. The U.S. Mint produced fewer coins than usual this spring as it sought to protect employees from infection and bank lobbies — where consumers often exchange coins for bills — were mostly shuttered during the peak of the lockdown.
