The plan was to keep the penny in our pockets forever. That was the plan. On Monday, the House of Representatives cast a vote to send the smallest U.S. currency unit the way of the dodo. The bipartisan Common Cents Act passed by a unanimous vote. It is now a matter of legislative record. The U.S. Mint will stop making pennies for general use. This move locks in a decision made back in November 2025.
According to RedState, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the end of production in May 2025. A mock funeral took place at the Lincoln Memorial during December 2025. Men and women dressed as Abraham Lincoln carried caskets while mourners tossed pennies inside. Now, the law makes that end official. The bill prevents any future president from reversing this decision. It stops the Treasury from minting more pennies, except for collector coins.
The reason for this change comes down to hard numbers. It cost 3.69 cents to make a single one-cent coin. That is more than three times its value. Per reports.S. Mint’s 2024 annual report, the price of zinc and copper drove this cost up. Taxpayers spent more than $179 million on penny production within fiscal year 2023 alone. Once coin rolling ceases, the Treasury projected immediate annual savings reaching $56 million.
Cash habits have changed too. Debit cards, credit cards, and digital apps mean fewer people use cash for daily purchases. The penny’s buying power has shrunk with inflation over the decades. It became a nuisance rather than a useful tool. The House voted to eliminate the need for pennies altogether. Cash transactions will now round to the nearest five cents. There is one exception for cash wages. If a wage total is not divisible by five cents, it must round upwards.
The bill was led by House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain. Rep. Robert Garcia, serving as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, collaborated with her. Per reports, this builds on a past bill McClain led that also passed the Senate. That earlier legislation did not include rules on rounding cash payments. The new act fixes that gap. The legislation also permits the U.S. Mint to manufacture nickels using less expensive materials.
Congress will monitor how this affects everyday Americans. The Treasury must examine the impact on low-income people, older consumers, and those without bank accounts. Existing pennies will still remain legal tender. You can still spend them, but they won’t be made anymore. As the RedState article observes, the phrase “A nickel for your thoughts” simply lacks the same ring. The 232-year-old coin is now part of history.
If President Donald Trump signs the act into law, the change is permanent. No future administration can bring the penny back. The cost of making the coin was simply too high to ignore. The government stopped losing money on a coin that cost more to make than it was worth. The era of the penny ends with a unanimous vote. The coin is gone, but the savings remain.
