The final US pennies struck this week might be worth a fortune. Coin experts estimate the last pennies minted on Wednesday could sell for as much as $5 million each when they hit the auction block in December, USA Today reported.

US Treasurer Brandon Beach pressed the button at the Philadelphia Mint on Wednesday to stamp out the final pennies after 232 years of production. The US government first started minting pennies in 1793, when Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital.

The last five pennies ever minted bear a special omega symbol marking their unique status. This distinctive feature is sure to excite bidders when these coins eventually go up for auction later this year.

“Collectors would go nuts for a modern rarity of business-strike Lincoln cents,” John Feigenbaum, publisher of the rare coin price guide Greysheet, told USA Today. “The demand would be incredible because the item would be a required element of a truly ‘complete set.’” Feigenbaum, who runs the Professional Numismatists Guild—a nonprofit made up of rare coin experts—estimates the value between $2 million and $5 million per coin.

However, not everyone shares the same level of optimism. Mike Fuljenz, president of Universal Coin & Bullion in Beaumont, Texas, told USA Today he believes the final penny could bring up to $1 million. He estimated the second and third final coins might fetch $10,000 and $20,000, respectively.

All auction proceeds will fund Mint operations, with any excess going to the US Treasury. The Mint produced 232 omega-stamped pennies for the auction—one for each year the penny existed. Additionally, three more coins were made for display at the Treasury and other institutions. The Mint also struck 235 gold pennies, according to Reuters.

The penny’s demise comes after President Trump ordered it discontinued in February following a surge in production costs, which had ballooned to 3.69 cents per coin—nearly four times its face value. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote online. “This is so wasteful!” The move is expected to save taxpayers $56 million annually.

Despite the end of penny production, Treasurer Beach reassured the public that existing one-cent coins aren’t going anywhere. “Although today we say goodbye to the copper 1-cent coin, the penny remains legal tender,” Beach told USA Today. “And we encourage you to use it.” Approximately 300 billion pennies remain in circulation, and the Mint will continue producing limited collector versions.

The shutdown has already caused disruptions for retailers. Some stores have started rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel. For example, Kwik Trip, a Midwest convenience chain, has implemented a policy of rounding down when pennies run out—a practice expected to cost the company millions annually.

Complicating matters, four states and major cities including New York and Philadelphia require merchants to provide exact change, leading to legal challenges. The National Association of Convenience Stores and other retail groups have urged Congress to pass legislation to resolve these issues. Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the association, noted that the group has advocated for penny elimination for three decades but added, “This is not the way we wanted it to go.”

The penny has a long history in the United States. It first appeared in 1793, and Abraham Lincoln’s profile was added in 1909 on what would have been his 100th birthday—making it the first US coin to feature a president.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/15/us-news/last-us-pennies-could-fetch-up-to-5m-after-mint-shuts-down-production/