The final minted set of U.S. pennies sold for more than $16.76 million at an auction in California last week.

The Stack's Bowers Galleries auction house sold 232 sets of three coins featuring a 2025 penny from the Philadelphia Mint, a 24-karat gold penny from the Philadelphia Mint and a 2025-D penny from the Denver Mint, all of which included the omega symbol, marking the last minted set of the coin's 232-year run, according to a press release. Each trio of coins was auctioned for an average value of more than $72,000, with the final set, No. 232, sold for $800,000.

"It’s an extraordinary honor to again be selected to partner with the United States Mint to offer exciting numismatic rarities to the collecting public," said Stack's Bowers Galleries President Brian Kendrella. “They captured the public imagination like few rare coins we’ve ever handled. Even our staff of expert numismatists, who see the world’s most famous and valuable rare coins day in and day out, were excited by the chance to handle the very last pennies struck before the suspension of circulating production.”

U.S. Mint announced the auction for the final minted set of U.S. pennies in November.

“The Mint is excited to share this opportunity with the American public,” said Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally in a press release. “The penny has withstood 232 years of our Nation's history, and we are proud to offer the chance for the public to celebrate this moment into perpetuity by purchasing one of these special sets. It truly an honor to continue Connecting America through Coins.”

The federal government shut down the production of pennies in November, nine months after President Donald Trump initially shared a post on his Truth Social account revealing that he asked Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent to stop producing the coin in an effort to cut costs.

"For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump wrote at the time. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation's budget, even if it's a penny at a time."

Mint's annual report confirmed that it lost $83.5 million making pennies in the fiscal year of 2024. Pennies that have already been produced will remain in circulation.

Rayland Baxter

with Sylvie