In 1984, the new wave band Talking Heads came out with their seminal live album called Stop Making Sense. The U.S. Treasury, meanwhile, at the behest of President Donald Trump, has officially stopped making cents.
They’ve been around since 1793. Why stop now? One main reason is that they’re simply not worth the cost, as Trump pointed out in February:
Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.
Some stores are already rounding up transactions to the nearest nickel in anticipation of penny shortages. The copper coins (actually, mostly zinc these days) are almost as old as the republic itself:
Pennies were among the first coins introduced by the U.S. Mint, a bureau of the Treasury Department, more than 230 years ago.
[snip]
Higher metal prices result in higher production costs. If production costs get too high, the seigniorage – the difference between a coin’s face value and the cost of putting it into circulation – make the coin worth less than what it costs to make it.
Back in the day, however, a mere penny might get you a biscuit, some sweets, or even a candle (which would have been an important item indeed in 1793).
They just plain cost a chunk of change to produce, though:
[snip]
Although some will doubtless be saddened by the end of an American institution, I confess I will not be. I find pennies to be frankly annoying, and the only time you need them is when you don’t happen to have any. They clutter up the coin holder in your car, they pile up somewhere in a corner of your desk drawer, or – if you do carry them around with you – they create an unsightly and heavy look to your pocket.
[snip]
That being said, I still have affection for them out of nostalgia, and even if production has now stopped, pennies will remain in our lives for the foreseeable future. Perhaps you will still be able to get a penny for your thoughts, but my guess is that after years of Bidenflation, you should charge a nickel or a dime at least.
Good luck, penny, and thanks for the memories.
* Original Article:
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/11/12/stop-making-cents-us-mint-puts-an-end-to-a-232-year-old-institution-n2196139