UST to end the Penny in 2025-2026

[68Camaro]

The nickel is definitely next. 75% Cu.

Nickel Next.png

This is true, but in the world of COIN COLLECTING, people are not interested in the copper aspect. They're interested in the date, condition, scarcity etc. The numismatic value of pre 1960 is and will remain higher than the copper value of a nickel unless something crazy happens such as ten dollars a pound for copper. In that case, your "collecting behavior " will change.

Not impossible that they may keep making cents by a few million a year for collectors, as NIFC issues. They can charge several times their cost and recover their expenses.

[JerrySpringer]

Anyone else think this is sort of the start of the end of easy entry to coin collecting?

Possibly, but some people will pivot to nickels. There are still a decent amount of pre 1960 in bank rolls, circulation etc.

I am thinking of doing that. Actually easier in some ways to rustle up nickels from banks than what seems like panhandling when I go in to ask for a box of cents. Tellers have not infrequently asked me why I am buying $25 of cents. I tell them I am a coin collector looking for wheat cents. In truth, I am also separating the copper out.

[shinnosuke]

The nickel is definitely next. 75% Cu.

Nickel Next.png

This is true, but in the world of COIN COLLECTING, people are not interested in the copper aspect. They're interested in the date, condition, scarcity etc. The numismatic value of pre 1960 is and will remain higher than the copper value of a nickel unless something crazy happens such as ten dollars a pound for copper. In that case, your "collecting behavior " will change.

Just curious...why is 1960 the key date? In the year 2035 will all nickels 1970 and earlier have that numismatic value? In other words, 1960 and earlier is not so key as the number of years that have elapsed since minting?

[coindood]

Pre-1960 nickels were the last years where some mintages were somewhat low. Nothing after 1960 really was, until 2009 anyway.

[Silver4face]

Anyone else think this is sort of the start of the end of easy entry to coin collecting?

Possibly, but some people will pivot to nickels. There are still a decent amount of pre 1960 in bank rolls, circulation etc.

I am thinking of doing that. Actually easier in some ways to rustle up nickels from banks than what seems like panhandling when I go in to ask for a box of cents. Tellers have not infrequently asked me why I am buying $25 of cents. I tell them I am a coin collector looking for wheat cents. In truth, I am also separating the copper out.

Bingo! I never mention copper. I often say wheat pennies as well. Sometimes I mention older Canadian, but again I do not say or imply copper.

[Silver4face]

The nickel is definitely next. 75% Cu.

Nickel Next.png

This is true, but in the world of COIN COLLECTING, people are not interested in the copper aspect. They're interested in the date, condition, scarcity etc. The numismatic value of pre 1960 is and will remain higher than the copper value of a nickel unless something crazy happens such as ten dollars a pound for copper. In that case, your "collecting behavior " will change.

Just curious...why is 1960 the key date? In the year 2035 will all nickels 1970 and earlier have that numismatic value? In other words, 1960 and earlier is not so key as the number of years that have elapsed since minting?

Your questions are good. Rather than stray off topic, I will PM you my answers/explanations.

[thecrazyone]

My change found threads will fade, as the cents I find are like 10:1 over my other finds

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

This is the beginning of the end of physical change.

Paper dollar demise is coming next.

TPTB want to end the anonymity of cash and everything digital and trackable and taxable.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

My change found threads will fade, as the cents I find are like 10:1 over my other finds

Don't worry, we'll still love ya!

[Lemon Thrower]

US Treasury placed their last order for blanks. They may make some cents in 2026, but no more after these blanks are used up.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/ ... next-year/

[JerrySpringer]

US Treasury placed their last order for blanks. They may make some cents in 2026, but no more after these blanks are used up.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/ ... next-year/

Next stop, lifting the melting ban. Which probably should be lifted soon as why the heck would the government care about less than maybe $100 million dollars of copper cents being melted down?

[shinnosuke]

US Treasury placed their last order for blanks. They may make some cents in 2026, but no more after these blanks are used up.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/ ... next-year/

Next stop, lifting the melting ban. Which probably should be lifted soon as why the heck would the government care about less than maybe $100 million dollars of copper cents being melted down?

If the melt ban is listed are RealCenters going to rush to the recycler? A flood of incoming Cu pennies might drive the price down. Better to wait for the dust to clear?

[thecrazyone]

My change found threads will fade, as the cents I find are like 10:1 over my other finds

Don't worry, we'll still love ya!

Thank God LOL

[Doctor Steuss]

If the melt ban is listed are RealCenters going to rush to the recycler? A flood of incoming Cu pennies might drive the price down. Better to wait for the dust to clear?

I'm not sure it would have much impact on the price. If it did, it would largely just be recyclers taking advantage of the number of people looking to unload copper, more-so than the global commodity price being impacted.

Going wayyyyy overly generous here, but using 1932 through 1982 (and using all of 1982 as copper) penny production, it's about 539 thousand metric tonnes of copper in the form of pennies.

I think at best, there's probably 10-15% (admittedly, a totally made up figure) of that 539K that that would/could be turned in for melt. That's the equivalent of 0.19% of annual global demand.


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If anyone wants to double-check my math (above numbers are rounded). It's early, and I haven't had coffee yet, so errors are definitely possible.

1932-1982 cents minted: 179,911,594,197
Copper Content: 2.95g per cent
Grams per Tonne: 1,000,000
Annual Global Demand (per International Copper Association): 28 million tonnes.

[shinnosuke]

If the melt ban is listed are RealCenters going to rush to the recycler? A flood of incoming Cu pennies might drive the price down. Better to wait for the dust to clear?

I'm not sure it would have much impact on the price. If it did, it would largely just be recyclers taking advantage of the number of people looking to unload copper, more-so than the global commodity price being impacted.

Going wayyyyy overly generous here, but using 1932 through 1982 (and using all of 1982 as copper) penny production, it's about 539 thousand metric tonnes of copper in the form of pennies.

I think at best, there's probably 10-15% (admittedly, a totally made up figure) of that 539K that that would/could be turned in for melt. That's the equivalent of 0.19% of annual global demand.


-------------------
If anyone wants to double-check my math (above numbers are rounded). It's early, and I haven't had coffee yet, so errors are definitely possible.

1932-1982 cents minted: 179,911,594,197
Copper Content: 2.95g per cent
Grams per Tonne: 1,000,000
Annual Global Demand (per International Copper Association): 28 million tonnes.

I appreciate the analysis. If your math is correct, your prognosis seems reasonable.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

US Treasury placed their last order for blanks. They may make some cents in 2026, but no more after these blanks are used up.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/ ... next-year/

If that's what ends up happening, depending on the mintage, the 2026 pennies could be rare and sought after.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

(snip)
The U.S. Mint will stop making the penny next year. The reasons are purely practical. It costs three times as much to make as it is worth. Dropping it will save $56 million. Most people don’t carry them anyway; the bulk of the existing stock is thrown out or put in jars at home.

Presidents have urged this for many years, but the time has finally come. Many people will be relieved. Someone gave me pennies in change just the other day. All I could think was that they were taking up space in my pocket for no reason.

Back in 1913, if you had 3 cents, you had the spending power that you would have if you had a dollar today. That’s a 33-fold increase in prices over a century and a decade of central banking and money printing to sustain an ever larger government and an ever bigger debt burden. The loss of purchasing power in the money is the equivalent of a tax, a sneaky, surreptitious tax that masks its coercion in monetary depreciation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/say-goodbye-penny

[JerrySpringer]

Back in 1913, if you had 3 cents, you had the spending power that you would have if you had a dollar today. That’s a 33-fold increase in prices over a century and a decade of central banking and money printing to sustain an ever larger government and an ever bigger debt burden. The loss of purchasing power in the money is the equivalent of a tax, a sneaky, surreptitious tax that masks its coercion in monetary depreciation.

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/say-goodbye-penny

Pulled this off Google:

"In 1913, the average price of electrolytic copper was around 15 cents per pound, according to the Engineering and Mining Journal and the American Metal Market. A slightly higher average of 15.55 cents was reported by the American Metal Market and Daily Iron and Steel Report. "

Make out of that for whatever it is worth. Copper is around $4.75 per pound. So, price has gone up about 30 fold. Copper seems to follow dollar inflation?

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

Pulled this off Google:

"In 1913, the average price of electrolytic copper was around 15 cents per pound, according to the Engineering and Mining Journal and the American Metal Market. A slightly higher average of 15.55 cents was reported by the American Metal Market and Daily Iron and Steel Report. "

Make out of that for whatever it is worth. Copper is around $4.75 per pound. So, price has gone up about 30 fold. Copper seems to follow dollar inflation?

Again, I believe long suffering Cu penny hoarders will be rewarded... that is if we don't die first!

From a technical charting perspective, it needs to breakout above the $5 area first.

[TXSTARFIRE]

Copper cent now just about 3 cents in metal value.