The original inscription on US pennies is the direct opposite of “penny for your thoughts.”

 

The original inscription on US pennies is the direct opposite of “penny for your thoughts.”

We’ve all heard the old idiom “penny for your thoughts;” it’s quite a lighthearted way to be asked what we’re thinking of.

But back in 1787, the very first American coin to be made was inscribed with something far sterner.

The Fugio Cent, the copper penny also known as the Franklin cent after its original designer Ben Franklin, had the currency imprinted with “Mind your business.”

While it is originally said to be more of a literal financial instruction rather than a snarky warning, it is still quite funny to think how it sounds now.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Paul warned Timothy of the correlation between money and evil. Expensive and flashy things naturally capture our human craving for more stuff, but no amount will ever satisfy our souls.

Though we are free to enjoy God’s blessings on this earth, money can lead to jealousy, competition, stealing, cheating, lying, and all sorts of evil. “There is no kind of evil to which the love of money may not lead people, once it starts to control their lives,” says the Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Let's take a moment to study what the Bible has to teach us about money and how it leads to evil.competition