RIP to the Penny: America’s One-Cent Coin Is Tapping Out
August 25, 2025
One of our writers recently came across a BBC article that made us do a double take: the U.S. is finally saying goodbye to the penny.
Yep, the one-cent coin that’s been hanging around since 1793 is officially being phased out next year. Apparently, it now costs nearly four cents to make just one penny, which is… kind of hilarious and also kind of infuriating?
Agreeing that pennies are ultimately “wasteful,” the Treasury Department put in their final order of penny blanks, and once those are used up, that’s it. No more new pennies.
If you’re feeling weirdly sentimental about this, you’re not alone. Pennies have been part of everyday life for generations — lining the bottoms of purses, getting stuck in couch cushions, and living forever in charity jars.
But let’s be real: how often do you actually use one?
With cash use on the decline and rounding already a thing in places like Canada, this move makes a lot of sense. (Also: $56 million a year in savings? That’s a lot of money not going into coins that people drop on the sidewalk and never pick up.)
So what now?
According to the Wall Street Journal, prices will start getting rounded up or down, which feels very “we’re living in the future” energy.
Other countries ditched their lowest-value coins years ago, and it didn’t cause total chaos — so we’ll probably be fine too.
Until then, dig through your change jars, because the penny is about to become a relic.
Lincoln, you had a good run, but it’s time to cash out.
