Did You Know? No More Pennies Starting in 2026

$20 worth of bitcoin I purchased with the $20 that I was not supposed to spend

Apparently, the government made the decision earlier this year, but it didn't make big news. I just found this out almost by accident in late October.

The U.S. Treasury quietly confirmed that minting new pennies will end once the remaining supply of materials runs out.

The reason? It costs almost four cents to make a single penny. So every time they make one, the country loses money.

For most people, this won't change much. The pennies you already have will still be legal to use, but stores and banks will slowly stop giving them back as change. Cash purchases will probably be rounded to the nearest nickel, while card payments stay exact.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it. It makes sense, but it's also a little strange to think that something so ordinary -- something we've used our whole lives -- is about to disappear.

Maybe it's time to open that jar full of pennies sitting on your dresser and cash them in... before they turn into nothing more than souvenirs.

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