A penny in 2008 is worth 44% of what it was worth in 1982, when the last change was made.<p>I wasn't able to find a 25 year chart, here's the oldest I could find, going back 15 year: <a href="http://www.infomine.com/investment/charts.aspx?c=zinc&#38;r=15y#chart" rel="nofollow">http://www.infomine.com/investment/charts.aspx?c=zinc&#38;r=...</a><p>From 1995 to 2004 it was basically flat, it took a huge jump during the recent bubble and is now again going up beyond that historical range.  The previous recent bump wasn't due to a decline in the dollar's value, but this one just might be related to it.