The Penny Is Ending in 2026 After 233 Years in Circulation

Is It True? Is the U.S. Really Discontinuing the Penny in 2026?

Yes—it’s official. After more than 230 years in circulation, the U.S. government has announced that the penny will be discontinued in 2026. That means the final Lincoln cents will roll off U.S. Mint machines sometime next year. Once the last batch of blanks is used, there won’t be any new one-cent coins heading into pockets, cash registers, or bank rolls again.

This change has been a long time coming. Economists, lawmakers, and even former Mint officials have pushed for this move for over a decade. The tipping point? Simple: it’s costing more to make a penny than the coin is worth.

As of 2024, it costs about 3.7 cents to produce one penny—a financial loss that adds up to tens of millions of dollars every year. So in May 2025, the Mint placed its final order for penny blanks. That final supply will carry the U.S. penny into its last year of life in 2026.

This isn’t just a story about coins—it’s a shift in American life. For a culture raised on phrases like “a penny saved is a penny earned,” this moment marks the end of a small but mighty era.

Want a reminder of how much has changed in daily American life? Take a peek at What Christmas Looked Like 100 Years Ago—where pennies were often part of the gift.

Why Is the Penny Being Discontinued?

The biggest reason? Money.

Making a penny has been a bad deal for taxpayers for years. Even though the coin is worth just one cent, it costs nearly four times that to manufacture. When you’re producing billions of them, that adds up fast. The U.S. Mint has been eating the loss, but as digital payments continue to take over, the justification just isn’t there anymore.

Other major reasons include:

1. Digital domination – From tap-to-pay to mobile banking, fewer people use cash daily
2. Coin clutter – Pennies often sit in jars, drawers, or end up tossed on the ground
3. Retail shift – Many stores have already moved toward rounding prices or dropping penny usage at the register
4. Precedent abroad – Countries like Canada stopped minting their penny in 2012 and adapted quickly

This isn’t the first coin to get phased out, either. If you’re curious how the U.S. has handled this before, check out The End of the Half-Cent Coin—another case where it just didn’t make sense to keep a coin around.

When Will the Last Penny Be Made?

According to the U.S. Mint, the final production run for the penny will happen in 2026, right in time for America’s Semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. It’s a symbolic, full-circle moment for the coin that’s been in pockets since 1793.

Here’s how the timeline plays out:

1. In May 2025, the Mint placed its final order for penny blanks
2. These blanks will be used throughout 2026 until the supply runs out
3. After that, no new pennies will be minted moving forward

These final coins are expected to become collectible—not because of rare errors or strange materials, but because they mark the end of the line for one of America’s longest-running coinage traditions.

If you’ve ever held onto coins just because they “felt old,” you’re not alone. Americans have been collecting bits of change forever. Just take a look at the public’s obsession with coins like The Flowing Hair Cent of 1793—an early symbol of American independence, pride, and craftsmanship.

Will Pennies Still Be Legal to Use?

Yes—even after 2026, pennies will remain legal tender in the United States. That means:

• You can still spend them at any business that accepts cash
• You can deposit them in banks
• You can hoard them in jars (if that’s your thing)
• And you can keep using them indefinitely—no expiration date here

What will change is that you won’t be seeing shiny new pennies anymore. Over time, the existing supply will dwindle as coins get lost, damaged, or taken out of circulation. But there’s no law requiring you to stop using them.

That said, we’ll likely start seeing a shift in how cash transactions are handled. Most stores are expected to adopt a rounding system—just like Canada did when it phased out its penny—where cash purchases are rounded up or down to the nearest five cents.

And that’s not such a stretch when you consider how money worked before modern coinage. Want to explore how Americans managed before today’s coins even existed? Take a stroll through How People Kept Food Cold Before Refrigerators—a reminder that adaptation is nothing new in this country.

How Will Stores Handle Prices Without Pennies?

The first thing most folks wonder is—“So what happens when something costs $4.97?” Will stores just round everything up? Down? Or stop accepting cash?

Here’s how it’ll likely work, based on what other countries have already done:

1. Cash purchases will round to the nearest 5 cents
   • $4.97 rounds to $4.95
   • $4.98 rounds to $5.00
2. Digital transactions won’t change
   • Paying by card, phone, or app? You’ll still pay $4.97 exactly
3. Rounding rules will vary slightly by retailer, but most are expected to follow consistent rounding guidelines

In other words: the penny will slowly disappear from the physical world, but not from accounting or digital payments.

And this kind of shift isn’t new. Back in the day, Americans adjusted to big currency transitions often—like the removal of silver from coins in the 1960s, or the brief, oddball run of Steel Pennies during World War II when copper was needed for bullets, not pocket change.

This is just another chapter in our evolving relationship with money.

A Brief History of the Penny: 1793–2026

Before it became a coin stuck between your car seat and center console, the U.S. penny had a long and meaningful run. Here are the highlights of its 233-year journey:

• 1793: The very first U.S. penny—called the Flowing Hair Cent—was minted
• 1859: The Indian Head penny enters circulation
• 1909: Abraham Lincoln appears on the coin for his 100th birthday
• 1943: The steel penny is born during WWII to conserve copper
• 1982: Composition switches from mostly copper to zinc (with copper coating)
• 2009: Four special Lincoln designs mark his 200th birthday
• 2026: Final production year—marking the end of a coin that outlived entire industries

That’s a serious legacy. The penny has survived the Great Depression, two world wars, the moon landing, and the smartphone revolution. It’s been in the pockets of pioneers, factory workers, GIs, presidents, and probably even your grandparents.

And yet, like many tools of the past, its usefulness just didn’t keep up with the times.

Looking for more glimpses of everyday life across U.S. history? Check out A Day in the Life of a 1950s Milkman—another window into how quickly the world (and our routines) have changed.

Why Did Americans Love—and Hate—the Penny?

Ask ten people how they feel about the penny and you’ll get ten very different answers. For some, it’s a symbol of simpler times. For others, it’s just a nuisance clogging up their wallet or junk drawer.

Why people loved it:

1. It featured Abraham Lincoln, one of the most beloved figures in American history
2. It felt accessible and familiar, a coin even kids could collect or toss in a wishing fountain
3. It became part of American language and culture: “a penny for your thoughts,” “penny saved, penny earned,” and “penny candy”

Why people grew tired of it:

1. It’s rarely used—many stores had already stopped giving them out
2. Cost outweighed value—it was costing more to make than it was worth
3. It’s become a symbol of inefficiency, especially in an age of contactless payments

Much like other once-loved American products that faded over time—like Lunchables’ Fudge Brownies or Fruit Loops Drinking Straws—the penny’s disappearance is part nostalgia and part practicality.

The End of a Tiny American Icon

The U.S. penny discontinued in 2026 marks more than the end of a coin. It’s the closing chapter of a cultural artifact that has been part of American life since George Washington was president.

For over two centuries, pennies jingled in the pockets of pioneers, farmers, soldiers, shopkeepers, and schoolkids. They bought gum, stamped dates into our childhood memories, and helped teach generations how to count. Now they’re stepping aside—not in disgrace, but in quiet retirement.

And if you happen to find one of those final 2026 pennies, hold onto it. Because in a few decades, it won’t just be old change. It’ll be a little piece of history.

Just like the things you’ll find flipping through Nostalgic Sears Catalog Items Like the Robot Smoker—the penny is a quirky, iconic, and soon-to-be-retired relic of the American experience.

Should You Save Your Pennies Before 2026?

Short answer: maybe.

For most people, the pennies in your couch cushions or change jar won’t suddenly become rare. But if you’ve got older ones—especially from before 1982, when they were mostly copper instead of zinc—they could be worth more than face value just in raw metal content.

Here’s what to look for:

1. Wheat pennies (1909–1958) – These are collectible, especially with mint marks or rare dates
2. Steel pennies (1943 only) – Minted during WWII, they’re eye-catching and more unique
3. Pre-1982 copper pennies – Heavier and with a higher metal value (nearly 2 cents in copper)
4. Mint errors or misprints – Off-center strikes, double dies, and other oddities can be valuable

You don’t have to become a full-time coin collector, but before you dump your change at Coinstar, take a few minutes to sort through your stash. You might be sitting on a tiny pile of cash—or at least something fun to hand down.

Looking for more “you never thought about this” surprises in American daily life? You’ll enjoy How Did People Keep Food Cold Before Refrigerators?—another everyday topic that’s much deeper (and stranger) than you’d expect.

The Penny’s Place in American Memory

For many Americans, especially older generations, the end of the penny feels like saying goodbye to a familiar friend.

We’re talking about a coin that’s been there for:

• First piggy banks
• Counting games in elementary school
• Memorials like pennies on gravestones for veterans
• Throwing one in a fountain and making a wish
• “Leave a penny, take a penny” trays in gas stations

There’s something personal about the penny. It wasn’t just money—it was miniature Americana. Its retirement might make economic sense, but it still tugs at the heart a little.

Much like we do with stories like Growing Up in 1950s Small Town America or The End of the Half-Cent Coin, remembering the penny is part of remembering who we were.

And when 2026 rolls around, and that final batch of one-cent pieces gets stamped at the U.S. Mint, it’s worth pausing—if only for a moment—and giving that little coin the farewell it deserves.