CLOVIS, Calif. – After more than 200 years in circulation, the United States will stop producing the penny — a coin long considered a symbol of everyday American commerce.
The change came as the U.S. Mint acknowledged a long-standing problem: a penny costs more than its worth to make. So, is the penny era over?
For some people, the announcement raises questions.
Shane Davis runs Clovis Antique Mall and works the cash register daily. He wonders if the shift could complicate small transactions.
"My first thought is, as a business owner, how am I supposed to make change if pennies went away? We'd have to estimate," Davis said.
But he may not have to worry right away. Billions of pennies are in circulation and will remain usable even after production stops.
Still, some say this moment signals a broader transformation – perhaps one that has been years in the making. Charles Miller, 21, of Clovis thinks of the digital economy.
"I guess we're kind of moving more toward a cashless society. A lot of people are becoming cashless," Miller said.
Like all change, there are many thoughts on this. Phil, who only shared his first name and works at Clovis Cards & Coins, wonders how businesses will handle pricing that involves the smallest denomination.
“When transactions occur, we still have transactions based on the one cent. And it's kind of unfortunate that how are the businesses going to work this out. Mostly probably to increase the prices to five cents,” Phil said.
If that happens, rounding may become the new normal — and customers could see subtle price shifts, he says.
For now, though, the penny may no longer be in production, but it remains part of American pockets, drawers, and jars. And in a world that will no longer make new ones, carrying old ones may soon feel like holding a tiny piece of history of what once was.
