After more than 230 years, the United States has stopped making new pennies for everyday circulation. Congress has now passed a bill that would make the production halt permanent, though the measure has not yet become law as of October 28, 2026.
The proposed Common Cents Act would formally end circulating penny production, allow certain cash payments to be rounded to the nearest five cents when exact change isn’t available, and preserve the value of pennies already in circulation. Here’s what the change means for your pocket change and what could happen next.
The Last Circulating Pennies Were Made in 2025
The U.S. Mint held a ceremony on November 12, 2025, marking the end of production for pennies intended for everyday circulation after 232 years. The Mint said production costs had climbed to 3.69 cents per penny, making each coin cost more to manufacture than its face value, according to its official announcement.
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The Penny Hasn’t Disappeared
Stopping production doesn’t mean pennies have lost their value or can no longer be spent, since existing coins remain legal tender and businesses can still accept them. The U.S. Mint’s penny FAQs explain that the change affects new circulating coins, not the pennies already in people’s wallets, cash registers, and coin jars.
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Congress Has Passed a Bill to Make the Change Permanent
The House passed the Common Cents Act, H.R. 10167, on September 14, 2026, and the Senate approved it without changes on September 28. The legislation would put an end to circulating penny production in federal law while allowing the Mint to continue making limited versions for collectors.
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The Bill Still Needs Final Action
Although both chambers of Congress have passed the measure, the latest available records as of October 28, 2026, do not show that it has been signed into law. The Government Publishing Office provides the enrolled bill, where readers can check the latest published details.
Your Old Pennies Won’t Become Worthless
The proposed law states that pennies minted and issued before its enactment would remain legal tender for debts, taxes, and other payments. You can still spend the coins you already have, and you don’t need to rush to exchange them just because no new circulating pennies are being made.
Cash Transactions Could Be Rounded
The proposed law would let businesses round eligible cash transactions to the nearest five cents when they can’t provide exact change, but it wouldn’t require every business to do so. Card payments, electronic transfers, checks, and gift cards would remain outside these cash-rounding rules, with totals still calculated to the exact cent.
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Stopping Production Saves the Government Money
The Mint reported that the cost of producing a penny had risen from 1.42 cents to 3.69 cents over the previous decade. Ending circulating production was projected to save the government about $56 million annually in manufacturing costs.
Collector Pennies Could Still Be Made
Ending production for everyday use doesn’t mean the Mint will never make another penny, since it can still produce limited numismatic versions for collectors. These special coins serve collectors rather than everyday commerce, so penny designs may still appear in future coin offerings.
The penny is in an unusual position: the Mint has stopped producing new ones for everyday circulation, but the coins already out there remain valid money. Congress has passed a bill to formalize the change, and until it becomes law, the production halt remains in place.
