Pennies are no longer being created, even though they are still tucked away in wallets and coin jars across the country. As the United States begins moving on from the one-cent coin, students and staff alike are noticing its quiet disappearance from everyday transactions. On May 22, 2025, the Secretary of the Treasury announced the suspended production of the penny upon determining that it is no longer needed.
Business teacher Matt Childers sees the discontinuation of pennies as something that was inevitable; with other nations already doing so in previous years.
“Canada discontinued their Penny early 2011 to 2012,” Childers said. “What they do is they simply round it up to the next nickel. Seems pretty simple.”
Childers thoughts on the discontinuation is that it benefits the United States economy.
“It’s less tax dollars being spent on something that is growing less and less relevant,” Childers said. “Most of us don’t actually carry cash anymore anyway, and having a penny or two or 10 is a little bit silly at this point.”
Childers does not see the inherent value of the penny
“Most times when we see pennies, they’re usually the huge jar someone’s collecting to cash in at the bank,” Childers said.
While the discontinuation of pennies may benefit the economy, Employees who handle money on a day-to-day basis see its effects differently.
Senior Colton Clark, a McDonald’s employee, distributes coins on the job. Clark has noticed the change that came after penny production ceased.
“We had to start rounding up change to the customer, which is bad for our business,” Clark said. “It makes it more annoying, because we have a lot of pennies that we just can’t hand out.”
Another senior, Nevaeh Smith, does not see a major difference now that the penny is no longer mainstream.
“I don’t remember ever using pennies unless I have them in dollar groups, then I go to those little coin machines at the store and put them into dollars,” Smith said. “I’ve never used a penny in my life. I don’t think they’re useful.”
Childers believes that the end of penny distribution could point to a bigger change in how coins are used in the future.
“I think that coins in the future will probably be predominantly silver and gold, almost pure silver, pure gold, just as a holding mechanism, a holding piece for hoarding cash,” Childers said.
