Did you hear the news?… The 2025 penny may be the last of the Lincoln cents struck for circulation!
The news about the end of the U.S. penny came along in February of 2025.
That’s when President Donald Trump recommended the United States Treasury stop ordering pennies for circulation from the United States Mint.
Why Are They Getting Rid Of The Penny In 2025?
The reason for getting rid of the penny comes down to cost.
The coin was becoming too expensive to make. When President Trump ordered the elimination of pennies in February 2025, they cost 3.7 cents apiece to produce and distribute. That’s about 4 times more than the face value of the coin!
Does this mean the U.S. Mint will never make pennies again?
That’s hard to say. Neither the president nor the Treasury can unilaterally abolish the penny. That decision would fall on Congress — which, as of this writing, hasn’t passed such a measure.
However, it’s possible that 2025 pennies may be the last struck for circulation yet remain in production as collectible coins sold to collectors.
That’s basically what has happened to half dollars and dollar coins in recent decades. Even though neither denomination has been struck for circulation in a long time, they remain in production as numismatic collectibles that are included in mint sets, proof sets, and other U.S. Mint offerings.
How Many 2025 Pennies Were Made?
There’s a lot of confusion about whether the U.S. Mint will continue making pennies in 2025. As of this writing, the Mint was still striking 2025 pennies, though there’s doubt about how much longer production of the penny will continue.
Even as the U.S. Mint strikes more 2025 pennies, these coins remain scarce in circulation. This is largely because many people are hoarding them — based on speculation that the coin will become rare and valuable.
As of March 2025, the U.S. Mint had struck more than a half billion pennies for circulation. That figure breaks down this way:
- Philadelphia Mint (no mintmark under the date) — 350,000,000
- Denver Mint (“D” mintmark under the date) — 245,400,000
NOTE: These numbers will likely have become bigger by the time you’re reading this article.
That’s not even counting the San Francisco Mint’s 2025-S proof Lincoln penny — which is included in the 2025 United States Mint Proof Set. According to the U.S. Mint website, the 2025 U.S. Proof Set has a mintage limit of 420,002. But that’s still a large number of 2025 proof pennies… meaning the 2025-S proof penny won’t really be a rare coin.
Even if the U.S. Mint stopped making pennies forever the moment after you read this article, there are so many 2025 pennies available that there’s little reasoning for the coin to be labeled rare. Yet, people are continuing to hoard the 2025 penny anyway, making it harder to find in circulation.
How Much Is A 2025 Penny Worth Today?
The 2025 penny value depends on where it was struck and the condition of the coin.
At this point, values for business-strike 2025 pennies like you can find in circulation and 2025 proof pennies are all over the place.
Here’s a look at 2025 penny values today, based on market pricing and auction prices:
- 2025 no mintmark penny — face value if worn; 50 cents to $2 in uncirculated condition
- 2025-D penny — face value if worn; 50 cents to $2 in uncirculated condition
- 2025-S proof penny — $25 to $50
At the moment, coin dealers are buying rolls of 2025 pennies for anywhere from 3 to more than 10 times their face value. These coin dealer buy prices for 2025 pennies may fluctuate as demand for the new penny changes.
How Much Will 2025 Pennies Be Worth In The Future?
It’s impossible to know how much any coin will be worth tomorrow, next week, or next month — let alone next year or a decade from now. It’s especially challenging to predict what 2025 penny values will be in the future.
For one, we don’t really know if the Mint will actually stop making all pennies in 2025. They might continue striking pennies for collectors even if they stop making them for circulation. And if the Mint keeps making pennies for collectors, these coins won’t really be as rare as some people think (or hope) they could be.
Another factor? Demand.
No matter how rare something is, it won’t necessarily have much value if there aren’t enough people who want an example of that thing. That may eventually be the case with 2025 pennies.
We already know there are a bunch of those coins out there, even if many of them are being held by collectors and hoarders. But let’s say the Mint stops making pennies tomorrow and a ton of people suddenly want some of their own. Values for the 2025 penny could go up.
And what happens when or if all the hubbub around the 2025 penny subsides and people aren’t as motivated to buy them anymore? What if a bunch of people begin selling them all at once? In that case, 2025 penny values could go down.
So, nobody really knows what 2025 penny values will be in the future.
The best advice may be to buy 2025 pennies if you like Lincoln cents and intend to build or complete a set of them (because you’re going to need 2025 pennies to finish your set anyway).
That way if values for the 2025 penny go down, at least you’ll still have a complete set of pennies to show off. And if values go up… Well, you’ll have saved your future self a lot of money!
