During a recent disc-golf outing, a friend of mine shared what he considered some blockbuster news, something that could spell disaster for many people who rely on a system of payment and receipt that goes back to the late 17th century here in the United States.
He wasn’t talking about the demise of the U.S. penny, the last one having been minted in Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2025, after 238 years of circulation. Indeed, the farewell to pennies marked the end of an era. But this time around, it might be time to bid goodbye to another mainstay form of legal tender: the humble paper check.
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