Sunday, October 2, 2025-A growing number of U.S. retailers are reporting a shortage of pennies, reviving memories of the coin scarcity that hit during the pandemic. Banks and stores across several states say coin circulation has slowed again due to reduced cash transactions and changes in consumer habits.
The U.S. Mint has acknowledged the slowdown but insists that production levels remain steady; the problem, it says, lies in coins sitting idle in households, not in the factories.
Shoppers are noticing the impact at checkout counters. Some stores have begun rounding prices to the nearest nickel, offering digital payment incentives, or requesting customers to pay with exact change.
On social media, consumers expressed surprise and mild frustration over the idea that the penny, long seen as nearly obsolete, could still cause operational headaches. Small businesses that rely on cash payments, particularly in rural areas, have been hit hardest by the shortage.
Economists say the situation renews debate over whether the penny should be retired altogether. Producing each coin costs more than its face value, leading some policymakers to argue that eliminating it would save millions annually.
Yet others defend it as a cultural mainstay of American commerce. For now, the U.S. Mint urges citizens to put their spare change back into circulation a reminder that even in a digital economy, small coins still carry weight in everyday transactions.
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