Final Pennies Produced As One-Cent Coin Is Discontinued
on Nov 13, 2025
The Penny Will No Longer Be Produced As The Cost Of Production Exceeds Its Value
For the past 232 years, the penny has been a coin that Americans could spend as 1/100th of a dollar.
While the currency will still be accepted, 2025 is the last year which will see new pennies minted.
On Wednesday, November 12, the final batch of pennies was pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Arguing that American taxpayers have been “repeatedly shortchanged” over the years, Treasurer Brandon Beach told attendees of the final striking of new pennies that they were witnessing history.
He also detailed why the coin was not being renewed for future production.
“Just over the last 10 years, production for single-penny has tripled while the demand has plummeted,” Beach explained. “Given the rapid modernization of the American wallet, the Department of the Treasury and President Trump no longer believe the continued production of the penny is fiscally responsible or necessary to meet the demands of the American public.”
He added, “This is another example of President Trump’s common sense agenda.”
Back in February, the Department of the Treasury was instructed by President Donald Trump to discontinue production of new pennies.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote:
In which by discontinuing production of the penny, Beach said on November 12 that the American taxpayers will save $56 million annually.
Beach continued, saying, “Although today we say goodbye to the continued production of our copper one-cent coin, let me be crystal clear: the penny remains legal tender.”
From there, Beach stated that there are over 300 billion pennies still in circulation, adding that the penny is not being eliminated from national currency, but will simply not be produced anew.
Watch the final pressing of new pennies, and the press conference on the coin’s discontinuation from production, here:
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History Of The Penny’s Design
The penny’s origins go back to 1793, as it was among the first coins minted by the newly established United States government.
Today, the face of the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, is emblazoned upon the coin, but that has only been the case since 1909.
Prior to Lincoln’s profile, the penny has featured Lady Liberty, in various styles, from 1792 to 1857. In 1856 to 1858, the coin featured the national bird, the bald eagle.
Notably, from 1859 to 1909, the likeness of a Native American adorned the coin, known as the “Indian Head cent.”
What Is A Penny Made Out Of?
Since 1982, the penny has been made from copper-plated zinc, with the copper amounting to only 2.5% of the penny.
Compared to the early penny, which went through two distinct compositions from 1792 to 1857, while being composed of 100% copper, the contemporary penny costs more than double its value to produce.
The Department of Government Efficiency, more commonly known as DOGE, made a post on X on January 21, saying, “The penny costs over 3 cents to make and cost US taxpayers over $179 million in FY2023. The Mint produced over 4.5 billion pennies in FY2023, around 40% of the 11.4 billion coins for circulation produced.”
Current Treasury estimates for annual savings for the American taxpayer are approximately $56 million.
However, there are concerns that the need for stores and consumers to round up or down to make change will necessitate an increased need for nickels, which cost $0.14 to produce.
