All I Want for Christmas Is the Last U.S. Cent

The final issues of America’s longest-running coin will be up for sale by year’s end. The U.S. Mint stopped producing cents months ago, but on November 12, U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach visited the Philadelphia Mint to strike the last five circulating cents for an end-of-series auction. Each coin bears a special omega privy mark below LIBERTY. As the last letter of the Greek alphabet, omega symbolizes the end of the beloved denomination’s  232-year run. 

Stack’s Bowers Galleries will auction the last circulating cents in December through a special sale of 232 three-coin sets. Each historic set includes two circulating cents (one from Denver and one from Philadelphia) and, for the first time ever, a .9999-fine 24-karat gold uncirculated cent, also minted in Philadelphia. A serialized certificate of authenticity accompanies each set. The final set, No. 232, includes the three original dies used to strike these coins.

“The mint is excited to share this opportunity with the American public,” says Acting Director Kristie McNally. “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.” 

Live bidding will take place on Thursday, December 11 at 12 p.m. EST. The auction will be hosted on the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website and broadcast from Griffin Studios in the firm’s Costa Mesa, California, headquarters.

Going Out with a Bang

Although the U.S. Mint will no longer produce circulation-strike cents, it will continue to create numismatic versions of the cent in limited quantities for historical and collector purposes. Nevertheless, collectors are gearing up for the end of the series. According to CoinWeek, the numismatic community can expect renewed demand for:

• High-grade early Lincoln cents
• Classic key dates like the 1909-S VDB and 1914-D
• Wartime and composition rarities
• Modern low-mintage issues
• Certified rolls and bags

Hobby experts anticipate a dynamite auction for the final issues. John Feigenbaum, publisher of Greysheet and executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild, told USA Today, “Collectors would go nuts for a modern rarity of business-strike Lincoln cents. The demand would be incredible because the item would be a required element of a truly complete set.” The omega-marked cents are poised to become some of the most coveted contemporary coins ever produced. 

Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more information as the mint releases details about the auction.