According to my understanding, the raw materials used to make pennies and nickles are both worth more than their fiat value. If people were to destroy these en masse and sell the materials, would there be wealth created (or better yet, recreated), due to the increase of raw materials and deflation?
Periodically the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.
Thomas Jefferson
Aside from the fact that it is illegal to destroy legal tender, I doubt that the cost of cleaning and reprocessing such low-grade material would make it worthwhile.
I wonder what the price of copper has to be before it becomes economical ;)
or maybe you mean zinc. cause copper is worth alot now-a-days.
(scroll down a little bit to "History of Composition")
U.S. Coin Metal Value Calculator