After more than two centuries in circulation, the United States has officially said goodbye to the penny.

On Wednesday, the final batch of one-cent coins was produced at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, marking the end of a 232-year tradition that began in 1793 following the Coinage Act.

The decision came months after President Donald Trump instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt new penny production earlier in February. The move, according to government officials, was primarily to cut costs, as each penny costs about three cents to produce.

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, who pressed the button to mint the last penny, described the moment as historic. “God bless America, and we’re going to save the taxpayers $56 million,” he said.

The discontinuation of the penny is the first time the U.S. has retired a coin since 1857, when the half-cent piece was withdrawn from circulation.

While no new pennies will be made, the coin remains legal tender. Experts estimate there are still around 250 billion pennies in circulation nationwide.

Since 1909, the coin has featured the face of Abraham Lincoln, but when it was first introduced, Lady Liberty was the original design on one side.

With the penny gone, attention is now turning to the nickel, another coin that costs more to produce than its face value.

A penny may be small, but for many Americans, its farewell marks the end of a nostalgic chapter in U.S. history.