'Find a PENNY, pick it up' or you may not find another - Penny production ends after 232 years

The U.S. Mint struck its final penny Wednesday, officially ending production of the one-cent coin after 232 years in American pockets.

When the penny debuted in 1793, it could buy a biscuit or a candle. Today, it costs almost four cents to make each one.

Treasurer Brandon Beach pressed the button at the Philadelphia Mint to strike the last coin, saying the move will save taxpayers $56 million a year. The final pennies were placed on display and will be auctioned off.

Billions of pennies already in circulation will remain legal tender, but new ones won’t be minted. The last U.S. coin to be discontinued was the half-cent in 1857.

Over the last 50 years, almost half the coins made at mints in Philadelphia and Denver were pennies.

Mint workers applauded as the final coins rolled off the line. Beach said it was “an emotional day,” while President Donald Trump, who ordered the phase-out, called penny production “wasteful.”

Retailers have scrambled in recent weeks to adapt. Some are rounding prices down or offering small prizes in exchange for spare change. Others have urged shoppers to bring exact cash.

Supporters say the move will cut costs and speed up transactions, noting other nations — including Canada — have already dropped their one-cent coins.

Still, collectors and historians say the penny’s disappearance marks the end of a small but symbolic piece of U.S. culture, one that reflected the country’s art, politics, and ideals for generations.