A penny for your thoughts on this one…
The U.S. penny, long seen as a virtually-valueless coin, has finally ceased production at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.
Indeed, the very last new penny was minted on Wednesday, bringing a long end to the copper-plated coin.
The Abraham Lincoln penny that we know so well has been in circulation since 1909, though the United States has had a once cent coin as far back as 1787.
Photo by Roman Manshin on Unsplash
Over the years, as prices have risen, the usefulness of a penny has come into question, especially as it costs over 2¢ to make a single 1¢ coin.
A collection of Lincoln cents from 1941 to 1974. Nearly complete set in a folder. Also features two error coins. Image by Monocletophat123.
With the retirement of the penny, consumers will still be able to use them as currency, but they will no longer be produced.
With billions of them still in circulation, we don’t see the penny becoming a collector’s item for quite some time, however.
Here we see the commemoration of the very last penny to be minted at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. Photo by Phaedra Trethan.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds one of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Will you be holding onto your stash of pennies, now that they’ll no longer be made?
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