What happens to America’s 114 billion pennies after production ends?

The penny may soon stop rolling off the presses, but America’s most iconic coin isn’t disappearing from everyday life just yet.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that it will begin phasing out production of the one-cent coin in early 2026, ending more than 230 years of continuous minting. Despite the move, the penny will remain legal tender, and consumers will still be able to use them for purchases as long as retailers accept them.

There are currently an estimated 114 billion pennies in circulation—enough to fill a cube roughly 13 stories high—but most are not actively used. “Many are sitting in coin jars, junk drawers, or other forgotten places gathering dust,” the Treasury noted.

Retailers and industry experts say consumers likely won’t notice an immediate change. “If we look at the experience in Canada, for the first year after they stopped making pennies, there was really no change in transactions,” said Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores. He added that convenience stores handle about 32 million cash transactions a day, or roughly 20% of their customer purchases, making them a key barometer for how the shift will unfold.

The National Retail Federation (NRF), which represents major U.S. store chains and thousands of smaller businesses, said its members will continue accepting pennies even after minting stops. However, as bank supplies begin to dwindle, some retailers may choose to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel. This rounding would apply only to cash payments; electronic transactions—such as credit and debit card purchases—will still be processed to the exact cent.

“There’s a saying in retail, ‘Never lose a customer over a penny,’” said Lenard. “I think if someone wants to pay with pennies, most retailers will err on the side of making those customers happy.”

Though pennies may gradually fade from circulation, there’s no expiration date on their value. The U.S. will follow the model used in Canada, which stopped minting pennies in 2012, but continues to recognize them as legal tender indefinitely.

As the U.S. moves toward ending production, the massive stockpile of existing pennies will continue to change hands—or gather dust in drawers—for years to come.

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