PHOENIX — As the "Copper State," Arizona has deep ties to the cent.
With President Trump now seeking to end the penny’s production, coin shops in the Valley are preparing for life without the penny.
Ken Moon, the owner of C&C Coin and Stamp, says simply discontinuing production of the penny doesn’t mean it can’t be used.
“All the individuals who have the coins in their sock drawers are going to have to start using them," Moon said.
He says with the cost of making a penny being more than it’s worth, stopping production makes sense. He adds the same logic would also apply to the nickel which he says costs 13 cents to make.
“[Discontinuing the penny] could create an issue of more demand on the nickel, then more fabrication of the nickel," Moon said. "So we’d actually be paying more for the production of coinage than making the cent."
At Cactus Coin and Metals, Michael Beram says the potential end of penny production is leading to increased interest among collectors.
“The 2025 one, I’ve been hearing people asking me, 'Can you get your hands on them? If you can I want to buy them,'" Beram said.
There’s still plenty of other cents to collect. Beram says people can look through their change jars for a "Lincoln Wheat Cent" which is generally worth a bit more than just one cent to collectors.
The holy grail is a 1943 copper penny. Beram says most of the pennies made that year were steel to save more copper to make ammunition for World War II.
“You’d have something good on your hands there," Beram said. "There are some rare pennies out there worth in the hundreds of thousands, or millions.”
Both collectors say that even if discontinuing the penny is the best thing to do financially for the country, it still marks the end of a historic piece of American history.
“It’s a sad day because I’ve grown up with it. I’ve been doing it for 40 years, and it’s been an integral part of our business,” Moon said.
