Friday, November 14, 2025 -U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach celebrated the striking of the final circulating one‑cent coins at the Philadelphia Mint, calling it a “return of common sense” after centuries of penny production.
The move caps more than 230 years of penny use, a legacy era now ending under mounting economic and practical pressures.
The penny’s demise was driven by steep production costs: each new penny now costs nearly 4 cents to make, according to the Treasury.
Discontinuing production is projected to save taxpayers around $56 million per year, a key argument put forward by Beach and Treasury officials.
While pennies will remain legal tender — and billions are still in circulation — the decision reflects a broader shift: as cash transactions evolve and costs rise, the penny’s practical role in commerce has sharply declined.
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