US Mint Kills Penny: $0.04 to Make a 1¢ Memory
KEY POINTS
- •On Wednesday, the US Mint produced its final penny, marking the end of a 232-year tradition.
- •Treasurer Brandon Beach struck the last coin in Philadelphia, symbolizing a shift towards common sense.
- •The Mint noted that while production has ceased, approximately 300 billion pennies remain in circulation.
On November 12, 2025, Treasurer Brandon Beach ceremoniously minted the US Mint's final penny in Philadelphia, ending 232 glorious years of pennypride that cost almost four cents to produce. Beach—formerly a Georgia state senator and Trump's fashion icon for his hundred-dollar-bill blazer—called it 'the return of common sense,' as the government saved $56 million yearly by dropping a coin worth less than its production cost. Meanwhile, fast-food titans like McDonald’s and Wendy’s nervously rounded bills due to a nationwide penny shortage. Amid confusion and no federal roadmap, retailers and cashiers were left to improvise their way through this post-penny apocalypse.
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The US minted its last penny at the astounding cost of 4 cents—that’s right, our wealth’s been sinking faster than coin production logic since 1793. Now retailers scramble, kids lose their frugality lesson, and McDonald’s rounds bills while we all pretend this makes sense.
232 years of pennies later, the US finally admits it costs more to make them than they're worth. Congrats, America, you officially lost money turning copper into nostalgic clutter.
Penny production ends but not confusion. Retailers left guessing as they juggle 'legal risks' without guidance, proving we’re all terrible drivers in the cash lane.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/12/2025 | Author: Alice Tecotzky
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