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U.S. Mint Sets December Auction for Final Omega-Marked Pennies as Retailers Adjust

The sale follows the halt to circulating production because making each penny costs more than its value, with the coin still legal tender but little federal guidance on the transition.

Overview

  • Live bidding for 232 three-coin Omega sets handled by Stack’s Bowers Galleries begins Dec. 11 at 12 p.m. ET, with each set including Philadelphia and Denver pennies plus a 24-karat gold piece.
  • Set No. 232 will include the three dies used for the final strikes, and all sets come with serialized certificates of authenticity.
  • Price expectations diverge sharply, with some numismatists projecting multimillion-dollar results and others estimating roughly $45,000 to $50,000 per set.
  • The final circulating strike was conducted Nov. 12 in Philadelphia by U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach after production costs rose to about 3.69 cents per penny, with projected savings of roughly $56 million a year.
  • Pennies remain legal tender and an estimated 300 billion are in circulation, yet businesses report hoarding, rounding or exact-change requests as federal guidance is lacking and some jurisdictions still require exact change.