As of Nov. 12, 2025, the U.S. Mint has stopped penny production, making all thoughts cost a nickel each.

A lack of pennies has already become a concern. Some stores have begun running short of pennies and have had to round cash transactions up or down to the nearest five cents when customers don’t have exact change, USA TODAY reported.

Here's a look at what happened and what to know about Illinois' own special coin.

Why did the penny stop being produced?

President Donald Trump order the Treasury Department to stop minting pennies as a budget-cutting measure in February. But a resulting shift to nickels, which are more expensive than pennies to produce, could cause other losses in the federal budget.

How long were pennies made?

Pennies were among the first coins introduced

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