KEY TAKEAWAYS:

U.S. stopped penny production, causing shortages in banks and stores.

Retailers forced to round down cash transactions, costing millions.

Lack of guidance from federal government exacerbates distribution problems.

Proposed legislation could allow rounding to nearest nickel for cash payments.

The United States is running out of pennies.

President Donald Trump ‘s decision to stop producing the penny earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.

One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran

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