It’s the end of an era for America’s smallest coin.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will strike the nation’s final penny in a ceremonial minting on Wednesday, marking the official end of penny production.

The penny has been part of the U.S. currency since the very beginning. It was first authorized under the Coinage Act of 1792.

For more than 230 years, the penny has circulated through American piggy banks and cash registers.

But rising production costs – each penny now costs nearly 4 cents to make – and shifts in consumer behavior, such as the rise of digital payments, have made it impractical to keep producing them.

In February, President Donald Trump announced plans to halt the production of pennies.

"For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally

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