After 232 years of hiding under couch cushions and granting wishes in fountains, the penny is officially taking its final bow. On November 12, U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach visited the Philadelphia Mint to strike the last five circulating cents ever made—each stamped with a tiny omega symbol
under LIBERTY to mark the end of an era.
To send the penny off in style, Stack’s Bowers Galleries is hosting a special December auction featuring 232 three-coin sets. Each set includes:
• A
Philly-struck circulating cent
• A Denver-struck circulating cent
• The very first .9999-fine, 24-karat gold uncirculated cent
• Plus a serialized certificate of authenticity
Live bidding kicks off Thursday, December 11 at 12 p.m. EST. Some experts estimate the Omega pennies could sell for as much as $5 million.
The penny’s
farewell comes at a practical time: today it costs roughly three times more to produce a penny than the coin is worth. While no longer being struck, the cent remains legal tender and is not being withdrawn from circulation.