Pennies are ubiquitous throughout the United States. They were the first coins to be minted and are a staple of piggy banks in every household. Unfortunately, we have ignored the other, harmful side of this coin for too many years. No matter how much practical or sentimental value pennies may have, there is no critical use in today’s world that could soundly justify their circulation. 

Even before the pandemic, pennies have been causing more trouble than they are worth, both literally and figuratively. According to The New York Times, the penny cost double its value to produce in 2019. In that same year, the U.S. Mint lost 70 million dollars from producing seven billion pennies. Additionally, according to a The Daily Collegian article, the process of transforming copper and zinc into pennies exacerbates global warming and pollution. 

To many Americans, pennies are seen as inconvenient and frustrating to deal with. If a coin is regularly found on sidewalks and wedged in between couch cushions, does it seem sensible for its circulation to prevail despite the issues it causes our country and planet?

Now, however, the task of abolishing the penny may happen more naturally. 10 years ago, it would have been legitimate to argue that a low-denomination coin such as the penny was necessary to keep prices from fluctuating. But in the aftermath of the pandemic, digital payment methods became increasingly used in place of cash to prevent surface transmission, the penny is becoming more and more obsolete. 

According to an article from The New York Times, as the country began to reopen, the U.S. Mint experienced coin shortages. Thus, many businesses now require credit cards or digital avenues of payment. This shift is apparent even within our school community, where the Homecoming booth this year only accepted payment through credit cards or with apps such as Apple Pay or Venmo.

It is possible to take measures towards lessening the penny’s use, such as endorsing prices in increments of five or simply producing fewer coins each year in the U.S. Mint. Other countries, such as Canada and Australia, have gotten rid of their low-denomination coins and undergone fairly smooth transitions. If cash transactions continue to grow obsolete, pennies may organically make a much-needed exit from our society.