U.S. Senate passes bill to officially end production of 234-year-old one-cent coin

The U.S. Senate passed it by voice vote on the evening of the 28th, officially ending the production of the 1-cent coin with a history of 234 years.

The U.S. Mint has stopped producing one-cent coins (penny) in 2025, and the Senate passed a bill by voice vote on the evening of the 28th and has been sent to U.S. President Trump for signature. The bill would officially end production of the 234-year-old one-cent coin.

"ABC NEWS" reported that the bill directs the government to no longer manufacture one-cent coins, providing legal recognition for the Trump administration's decision to stop production of the currency last year. The one-cent coin was one of the first coins struck after the Mint was founded in 1792. As digital transactions become more popular, its production costs continue to rise and its usage continues to decline.

Trump is expected to sign the bill. He posted on social media last year that it took "too long" for the United States to produce one-cent coins.

The Mint pointed out that it currently costs nearly 4 cents to produce a 1-cent coin, and stopping production will immediately save $56 million in annual expenses.

Currently, the 1-cent coin is still in circulation, and the official cessation of production does not mean that consumers or stores cannot continue to use it. The Mint said it will mint a total of 3.2 billion one-cent coins in 2024.

As the one-cent coin is phased out, the bill outlines new procedures for merchants to allow them to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel.

Retailers had pushed for the bill to eliminate the threat of lawsuits over their inability to provide accurate change as the number of pennies dwindled in circulation.

"Businesses across the country are facing the ripple effects of the lack of pennies in circulation, leaving them in a state of uncertainty over how to handle change in cash transactions when precise change cannot be provided," a coalition of retail groups wrote in a letter to House leaders earlier this year.

In addition, the bill would allow the government to use zinc as the lining in the manufacture of five-cent coins, which could increase the number of five-cent coins in circulation as the penny is phased out. The current five-cent coin is made of nickel and copper, which is more expensive than zinc.