US Mint Finally Stops Burning Money On Obsolete Penny Trash
In a stunning wake-up call from the US Treasury, the penny finally took its last breath at 232 years old on a Wednesday nobody cared to name. Since 1982, these one-cent fossils were made mostly of zinc, but at a jaw-dropping manufacturing cost of 3.69 cents each (up from 1.42 cents a decade ago), the penny has been a money-eating monster costing taxpayers an estimated $56 million annually. Meanwhile, inflation laughs: wanna buy those $1,100 Wall Street sneakers? That’s 110,000 pennies (good luck carrying that cash) or a lunch at Chipotle for 1,700 pennies weighing more than a newborn baby. Retailers now beg Congress for clarity on rounding rules as they scramble through penny shortages like kids searching couch cushions. Canada quit this circus in 2012, meticulously rounding up over 6 billion rusty coins, while the US just threw the penny out with zero guidance—classic move. At least Lady Liberty’s 1793 half-cent coin got put down with one clean Coinage Act in 1857, proving Americans really have no idea how to kill coins without drama.
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The US penny just died from costing 3.69 cents to make. That’s like paying $3.69 for a candy bar only to find out it’s just paper. Inflation made it worthless, taxpayers funded the funeral, retailers scramble, and Congress is still napping. Welcome to post-penny chaos!
The penny’s last gig cost 3.69 cents each to make, but inflation made it about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Now retailers want rounding rules before losing a dime on their dime. Spoiler: Congress is still stuck on mute.
After 232 years, the US penny has finally been fired for never earning its keep, cost $56 million a year to produce, and caused Armageddon at cash registers. Meanwhile, Canadians handled this like adults in 2012. America’s just winging it, as usual.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/12/2025 | Author: Paul Squire
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