Holt points to traditions of putting pennies in loafers, of rhymes like “See a penny, pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck,” of people who think an unexpected penny sighting could be a sign from a loved one who’s passed on.

Treasury Department will take pennies out of circulation next year. Costly nickels, however, could cancel out savings.

This move by the U.S. Treasury, motivated by rising production expenses and a call for fiscal frugality, has opened up an across-the-board debate about its effect on shoppers, retailers, and the entire economy.

After more than 200 years, we bid farewell to our small-denominated currency that grew to become a symbol of thriftiness and luck.

It may be time to start collecting pennies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed Friday that the United States can ‘retool’ the nickel following an announcement that the Treasury Department will cease all penny production by early 2026. “I think we can retool the nickel and change the composition of the alloys so that a nickel is worth a nickel,