Last American cents sold at auction for almost $17 million
The last minted American cents sold for $16.7 million at auction. This was reported by ABC News, citing the auction house Stack's Bowers Galleries.
Photo: abcnews.go.com
232 special sets were sold at the auction, each including a 2025 Philadelphia Mint penny, a 24-karat gold penny from the same mint, and a penny from the Denver Mint.
These coins also had an Omega symbol engraved on them, marking the final batch of coins, which were first minted in 1793. Each set was sold for an average of $72,000, while the last set, number 232, sold for $800,000.
"The one-cent coin has endured 232 years of our country's history, and we are proud to offer the public an opportunity to commemorate this moment by acquiring one of these special sets," the TV channel quoted the director of the U.S. Mint as saying.
The decision to discontinue the production of pennies was made in February 2025 by order of U.S. President Donald Trump. The reason was the high cost of minting: producing one cent cost the budget four times its value.