Here's a rundown of U.S. Mint production costs from the government's latest fiscal year. Each penny costs nearly 4 cents — or $0.0369, to be exact — for the U.S. Mint to make and distribute.

As penny production ends, collectors and hoarders alike wonder what’s next for billions of U.S. cents still in circulation.

That's also more than half of the 25 cent coin's buying power today. The quarter's unit cost has increased by 26.2% since the Mint's 2023 report, when its price tag was closer to 12 cents.

“You can go to your own bank or credit union and not pay any fee,” said Kimberly Palmer, personal finance expert at NerdWallet. Both NerdWallet and Bankrate offer tip sheets on exchanging coins for ...