| The world is running low on zinc, sending some investors scurrying to buy mining-company shares and forcing the U.S. Mint to redouble cost-cutting efforts in search of a cheaper penny. Prices for the metal have soared to three-year highs. Investors are betting prices will continue to climb as some of the world's largest zinc mines run dry just as demand is ramping up.
Zinc is used in everything from steel coatings to car tires to sunscreen, and the metal has few substitutes. The U.S. Mint reduced manufacturing costs to offset higher prices for zinc, which makes up 97.5% of every penny...............................................Full Article: Source
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