Newsroom
America’s penny has officially punched out. After 230 years of jingling in pockets, collecting dust in jars, and costing more to make than it’s worth, the 1-cent coin is out of production.
Once able to buy a biscuit or a piece of candy, today’s penny is mostly ignored, stuffed in drawers, or left to clog up vending machines. Each one costs nearly four cents to produce, a math problem even a toddler could call unfair.
“God bless America, and we’re going to save the taxpayers $56 million,” said U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, striking the final penny at the Philadelphia Mint. A few of the last coins will be auctioned off for collectors, giving the penny a tiny moment in the spotlight before joining history.
Billions of pennies will remain legal tender, but don’t expect to see new ones jingling around. The last U.S. coin to get the ax was the half-cent in 1857, proving that retirement is hard to come by in the coin world.
For centuries, the penny survived wars, inflation, and generations of “just put it in the jar” attitudes. Now, it’s finally free to rest… somewhere other than American couch cushions.
