Last pennies ever minted for circulation sold at auction for $16.76 million

The last pennies ever minted for circulation have been sold at auction, netting $16.76 million.

Coin-focused auction house Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold 232 sets, marking the 232 years between the 1793 minting of the first American penny or cent and the last. Each consisted of a 2025 penny from the Philadelphia Mint, a 2025-D penny from the Denver Mint and a special 2025 24-karat gold penny also struck in Philadelphia.

At $16.76 million in total sales price, the auction last week set a record for the highest value paid for coins sold on behalf of the U.S. Mint. The 232nd set also set a record, with its $800,000 price marking it as “the most valuable modern U.S. numismatic item,” Stack’s Bowers Galleries said.

The average price of each set was around $72,000, the auction house said, and the $16.76 million total price was worth nearly 80 times the $210,000 total melt value of the gold used in the 24-karat pennies sold in each set.

Each coin was marked with the Greek letter omega to mark them as the last of their kind.

“They captured the public imagination like few rare coins we’ve ever handled. Even our staff of expert numismatists, who see the world’s most famous and valuable rare coins day in and day out, were excited by the chance to handle the very last pennies struck before the suspension of circulating production,” said Stack’s Bowers Galleries President Brian Kendrella.

The penny was discontinued on the orders of President Trump earlier this year, as the coins cost more to produce than their monetary value. The nickel, which costs 14 cents to produce, according to The Associated Press, is still being made.