Penny shortage: Don’t expect correct change when paying with cash, some businesses warn

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(NEXSTAR) — As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and for the penny, the end may be coming sooner than expected.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump called on the Treasury Department to stop minting new one-cent coins , calling them “wasteful.” A few months later, the Treasury confirmed it would stop putting new pennies into circulation in early 2026, with a spokesperson telling the Wall Street Journal in May that the final order of blanks had been placed.

Once there are no more blanks available, the U.S. Mint will stop producing pennies , the spokesperson said at the time. Without pennies, businesses will have