Check your couch cushions. Seriously. You’ll probably find a few copper-colored discs that, quite frankly, aren't worth the effort it takes to bend over and pick them up. It is a weird American paradox. We hate carrying them, we leave them in those "take a penny, leave a penny" cups at gas stations, and yet, the government keeps pumping them out by the billions. If you are looking for a specific date for when will pennies stop being made, you are going to be disappointed. There isn't a "kill date" on the calendar yet. Not for 2026, and likely not for 2027.
But the math is getting ugly. Really ugly.
Right now, it costs the United States Mint about 3 cents to make a single penny. Think about that for a second. We are literally losing money on every single coin that rolls off the press at the Philadelphia and Denver facilities. It’s a recurring nightmare for the Treasury Department. In 2023 alone, the Mint lost nearly $90 million just on the production of the cent.
The Political Gridlock Keeping the Penny Alive
Why don't we just stop? Canada did it. Australia did it. The UK got rid of their half-penny decades ago. In the U.S., it isn't a matter of logic; it’s a matter of law. Only Congress has the power to change the denominations of our coinage. Specifically, the Coinage Act of 1792 set the stage, and subsequent laws have cemented the penny’s place in our pockets.
There are powerful lobbying groups that fight tooth and nail every time a "Penny Suspension" bill hits the floor. One of the biggest players is Americans for Common Cents. They argue that the penny prevents inflation. The theory is that if we get rid of the cent, businesses will round prices up to the nearest nickel, essentially a "rounding tax" on the poor.
Then you have the zinc lobby. Did you know the penny isn't even copper? Since 1982, it’s been 97.5% zinc with a thin copper plating. Companies like Jarden Zinc Products—now operating under different corporate banners—make a killing selling those zinc blanks to the Mint. They aren't going to let that revenue stream go without a fight.
The Myth of the "Penny Tax"
Economists generally laugh at the idea that rounding would hurt the economy. Robert Whaples, an economics professor at Wake Forest University, has done extensive research on this. His data suggests that rounding is a wash. Sometimes the consumer wins, sometimes the merchant wins. It averages out to zero.
But logic rarely wins in D.C.
Voters are sentimental. People like the idea of Abraham Lincoln being on the smallest unit of currency. It feels "American." There's a psychological fear that if the penny goes, the nickel is next. And honestly? The nickel is also a loser. It costs about 11 cents to make a five-cent piece. We are hemorrhaging money on both, but the penny is the primary target because it’s so ubiquitous and, arguably, useless.
What Happened in Other Countries?
If you want to know when will pennies stop being made in the States, look north. Canada scrapped their penny in 2013. They didn't just stop making them; they started actively withdrawing them from circulation.
The transition was remarkably boring.
If your total was $1.02, you paid a dollar. If it was $1.03, you paid $1.05. Only for cash transactions, though. Digital payments—credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo—still track every single cent. This is a crucial point that people often miss. Removing the physical coin doesn't mean the "cent" as a unit of measurement disappears. It just means you stop carrying the physical metal.
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The Royal Canadian Mint saved millions annually. New Zealand and Australia saw similar success. They even moved on to getting rid of their 5-cent coins. In those countries, the smallest physical coin is the 10-cent piece. Life went on. The sky didn't fall.
The "Zinc" Problem and Metal Costs
The price of raw materials is the real clock ticking in the background. Copper and zinc are industrial metals. When global demand for housing or electronics spikes, the price of these metals goes up.
In 2006, it was a big deal when the cost to produce a penny first crossed the one-cent threshold. Everyone thought that would be the end. But the Mint just kept going. They've tried to find cheaper alloys. They’ve looked at steel (which we used briefly in 1943 during WWII because we needed copper for shell casings), but steel messes up vending machines and sorting equipment.
The Mint has actually submitted reports to Congress exploring alternative metals. Every time, the conclusion is basically: "Everything else is also expensive or breaks the machines."
The Stealth Death of the Penny
Even if Congress doesn't act, the penny is dying a slow, natural death. Think about your own behavior. When was the last time you used a penny to actually buy something?
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Most pennies are "one-way" travelers. They leave the bank, go to a retailer, get handed to a customer as change, and then... they die. They sit in jars. They fall into car seats. They get thrown in the trash. The Mint has to keep making billions of them because so many of them are out of circulation.
The rise of the "cashless" society is the real penny killer. As of 2026, cash usage for small transactions has hit an all-time low. If people aren't using cash, they aren't getting pennies. If they aren't getting pennies, the demand for the Mint to produce new ones eventually drops, regardless of what the lobbyists want.
Why the 2020s Might Be the End
There’s a renewed push for the "Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings (COINS) Act." This pops up every session. It proposes suspending penny production for a period of time to see what happens.
The argument used to be about saving $50 million. Now, with inflation and higher metal costs, we're talking about much larger figures. At some point, the fiscal irresponsibility of spending 3 cents to make 1 cent becomes too loud for even the most sentimental politician to ignore.
What Most People Get Wrong About the End of the Penny
People think that on the day when will pennies stop being made, their existing pennies become worthless. That's not how it works.
If the U.S. follows the "Canadian Model," the penny will remain legal tender forever. You could technically take a bag of 100 pennies to the store and buy a soda. But retailers would no longer be required to give them back to you. They would round your change.
Another misconception: "Prices will all go up to $0.95 or $1.00."
Nope. Stores will still price things at $9.99. The rounding only happens at the very end of the total bill, after tax, and only if you pay with physical paper bills. If you're using a card, you still pay exactly $10.61.
Actionable Insights for the "Post-Penny" World
Since the end is inevitable—even if the date is fuzzy—here is how you should handle your stash now:
- Dump the Jars Now: Don't wait for a formal announcement. Coinstar machines or bank sorters are easier to use when the coins are still common. Some banks will even give you the full value if you're a member.
- Check for Rarities: Before you dump them, look for "Key Dates." A 1909-S VDB or a 1943 copper penny (a mistake coin) can be worth thousands. Most are junk, but the "Wheaties" (pennies made before 1959) are always worth keeping.
- Support "Round-Up" Programs: Many charities and apps now allow you to round up your digital transactions to the nearest dollar. This is essentially the digital version of a penny jar, and it's far more efficient.
- Watch the Zinc Price: If you see commodity prices for zinc skyrocketing in the news, know that it's putting a nail in the penny's coffin. That is the single biggest trigger for government action.
The penny has had a good run since 1787. It’s survived wars, depressions, and the transition from pure copper to the zinc-imposter we have today. But the clock is ticking. While there is no official "Stop" date yet, the sheer cost of production means the conversation in 2026 is louder than it has ever been. We are likely looking at the final decade of the American cent.