RIP… The Lincoln Penny |
It wasn’t a banner headline. In fact, chances are you may have skimmed right past it when the news first appeared.
On November 12, 2025, the very last penny was minted at the Philadelphia Mint, bringing an end to production of the familiar copper coin. The reason was purely practical: it now costs nearly four cents to make a single penny. Still, for me, the announcement landed with a surprising emotional thud—and a wave of nostalgia.
Growing up, the penny played a small but memorable role in my life. In grade school, I was given a Lincoln penny collector’s album, complete with little holes for every year and each of the three mints—Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Filling those slots became a hobby, and along the way I picked up more than a few history lessons.
Did you know there were two versions of the very first 1909 Lincoln penny? One included the initials of the designer, Victor D. Brenner—VDB—while the other did not. Those initials caused a minor uproar when the coin was released, and they were quickly removed, never to return. The 1909-S VDB penny went on to become one of the most famous—and valuable—coins in American history, worth tens of thousands of dollars in top........