Business12 November, 20253 min read
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach Presses Last Penny at Philadelphia Mint
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Treasurer Brandon Beach pressed the final pennies at the Philadelphia Mint on Nov. 12, 2025. President Trump instructed the Mint to stop penny production, citing production costs exceed coin value.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Final U.S. penny strike
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach presided over the final striking of U.S. pennies at the Philadelphia Mint, a ceremonial end to more than two centuries of one-cent coin production.
“The U.S. Mint struck its final batch of pennies in Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2025. U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach displayed one of the last coins, and officials presented two of the final five pennies at a news conference that day.”
CNN reported that the final pennies were struck Wednesday at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia under Treasurer Brandon Beach.
The Associated Press said the final batch of pennies was struck in Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2025.
LAmag reported that Beach pressed the final two pennies on Nov. 12, marking the end of more than 230 years of penny production.
Bay to Bay News described the move as following an order from President Donald Trump to cancel circulating pennies.
Penny production cost rationale
Officials and the administration have pointed to production costs as the central rationale for ending penny minting. LAmag reported that the Trump administration ordered the halt, saying minting pennies is wasteful because it now costs nearly four cents to produce a one-cent coin.
Bay to Bay News likewise noted it costs nearly four cents to make a penny and that the Treasury estimates stopping production will save about $56 million a year on materials. CNN reported the directive followed President Donald Trump’s February instruction to stop production because each penny now costs nearly four cents to make.
Penny phaseout retail impact
The phaseout is already shaping behavior at the retail level and eliciting mixed reactions. CNN reported that its removal is causing headaches for retailers, who plan to round cash prices to the nearest nickel or request pennies from customers; in some states rounding could create legal issues.
“Pennies will remain legal tender and existing coins won’t be recalled, so they won’t vanish overnight; the Mint/Treasury says production will slow.”
Bay to Bay said pennies will remain legal tender and existing coins won't be recalled, so they won't vanish overnight, and the Mint/Treasury says production will slow. LAmag noted Beach's assurance that existing pennies remain legal tender and billions will stay in circulation, and added the last two coins will be auctioned.
Penny retirement coverage
Coverage highlights the penny's long history and the arguments on both sides of the debate.
Bay to Bay recounted the coin's origins and composition, noting that the penny dates to the U.S. Mint's founding in 1792 alongside an early half-cent and that today's penny is 97.5% zinc with a copper plating.
Bay to Bay also cited circulation estimates ranging from about 250 billion per the American Bankers Association to roughly 114 billion per the Treasury.
CNN put the retirement in historical context by noting the penny, which outlived the half-penny by 168 years, remains legal tender.
LAmag framed the event as marking the end of more than 230 years of penny production.
Media framing of penny phaseout
Where outlets diverge most is tone and emphasis: some highlight the Trump administration's directive and the fiscal rationale, while others emphasize potential logistical headaches or the sentimental and collector value of the coin. LAmag and Bay to Bay stress the administration's decision and projected savings, noting the Treasury estimates stopping production will save about $56 million a year on materials, while CNN quotes critics who call the phaseout chaotic and warns of offsetting costs from producing more nickels.
“Critics call the phaseout ‘chaotic’; proponents warn problems will intensify without the kind of post‑removal guidance other countries provided.”
AP's account is more narrowly factual about the event itself, noting officials presented two of the final five pennies at a news conference. Overall, the sources together document the ceremonial end of penny production while offering different lenses — fiscal, practical, historical, and ceremonial — on what the change will mean.
