The federal government made its final order of penny blanks this month — marking the first step to end the production of the one-cent coin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of the Treasury confirmed to USA TODAY.

The American penny has been in circulation since 1792. It will be discontinued because it is too expensive to make.

This move by the U.S. Treasury, motivated by rising production expenses and a call for fiscal frugality, has opened up an across-the-board debate about its effect on shoppers, retailers, and the entire economy.

Treasury Department will take pennies out of circulation next year. Costly nickels, however, could cancel out savings.

After more than 200 years, we bid farewell to our small-denominated currency that grew to become a symbol of thriftiness and luck.

It may be time to start collecting pennies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed Friday that the United States can ‘retool’ the nickel following an announcement that the Treasury Department will cease all penny production by early 2026. “I think we can retool the nickel and change the composition of the alloys so that a nickel is worth a nickel,