After the Executive Branch announced that pennies would no longer circulate in the United States, the Philadelphia Mint produced the last pieces on November 12, which, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, would be auctioned.

Last Thursday, through an auction organized by Stack's Bowers Galleries. The United States Mint sold coin set number 232 for more than $16 million. This set contained the last three cents ever minted, as well as the dies used to strike the coins. Regarding this, John Kraljevich, director of American numismatics at Stack's Bowers, commented. “I've been attending coin auctions for 40 years, and I can tell you I've never seen anything like this, because there's never been anything like it,” he said, explaining that this is the type of auction where the value of the piece is unknown until the buyers place their bids. "American culture has incorporated the penny into our lexicon, our popular culture, into everything. And I think, for many people, the end of penny production for circulation is a source of nostalgia," Kraljevich said. With the first coins of this denomination, people bought cookies or snacks; Now, with the passage of time, most are in drawers or jars, yet they become relics for avid collectors. For Brian Kendrella, president of Stack's Bowers, the auction “captured the public's imagination like few rare coins we've ever handled.” For sale, these 232 sets were created, and each set included 2,025 cents minted at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, as well as a 24-karat gold cent representing the culmination of the era. In addition, each cent featured an Omega symbol, making it unique.