Rockford Sun

The United States Mint has ended production of the penny after more than 230 years. The last one-cent coin was produced on November 12, 2025, at the Mint’s Philadelphia facility. This concludes the circulation of America’s longest-running coin.

Congress first authorized the penny in 1792, and it began circulating a year later. Since then, the coin has seen various designs, with President Abraham Lincoln featured on its front since 1909. In 1982, the composition changed to mostly zinc with a small amount of copper.

Officials cited production costs as a primary reason for discontinuing the penny. In recent years, manufacturing each penny cost nearly four cents—well above its face value. Although new pennies will not be made, existing coins will remain legal tender and continue to circulate.

Inflation has also contributed to this decision by reducing the purchasing power of the penny. For example, a penny from 1960 would be worth about eleven cents today, while a penny from two centuries ago had even greater value in everyday transactions. As a result, officials say that the modern penny is now more of an inconvenience than an asset to the economy.

Syverson, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1993 to represent the state's 35th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Christine J. Johnson.