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4mo ago

Final U.S. Pennies Fetch $16.76 Million in Record Auction

The sale follows a federal halt to cent production after costs outstripped the coin’s value.

The very last circulating pennies, or “cents,” sold for over $16.76 million in a special auction by Stack’s Bowers Galleries on Thursday, December 12th, presented on behalf of the United States Mint.
FILE - Blank coins wait to be the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
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FILE - U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds one of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Overview

  • Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold 232 three‑coin Omega sets on behalf of the U.S. Mint, each comprising a 2025 Philadelphia cent, a 2025‑D Denver cent and a 24‑karat gold penny.
  • The final lot, Set No. 232, included the very last circulating pennies and the canceled dies used to strike them, selling for $800,000.
  • Average price per set topped $72,000 and 17 sets exceeded $100,000, setting a modern U.S. numismatic record and surpassing a prior $550,000 mark for a space‑flown Sacagawea dollar.
  • The Philadelphia Mint struck the final circulating cents on Nov. 12 after President Trump directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt minting.
  • Pennies remain legal tender with roughly 300 billion still in circulation; the Mint reported an $85.3 million FY2024 loss on penny production with per‑coin costs near 4 cents.