If the penny were eliminated, rounding prices to the nearest nickel would not cost consumers extra money, according to a new study by Robert M. Whaples, professor of economics at Wake Forest University. Whaples, an expert on the history of the U.S. economy, recently presented his findings at the John Locke Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. "It's time to eliminate the penny," said Whaples, who estimates that the United States loses roughly $900 million a year on penny production and handling. In a penny-free market place, what consumers pay at the cash register would be rounded to the nearest...