For more than 230 years, the penny has been a small but powerful symbol of American life. From childhood piggy banks to sayings like “a penny saved is a penny earned,” the coin carried lessons about thrift and tradition. Now, according to USA Today, that long story has reached its final chapter. The U.S. Mint has stopped making pennies, ending more than two centuries of production.

The last penny was struck at the Philadelphia Mint with Treasurer Brandon Beach present for the moment. He explained that the change was financial as much as cultural. It costs nearly four times more to make a penny than the coin’s actual value. The decision marks the first time since 1857 that a U.S. coin has been discontinued. It also reflects how digital payments have replaced small change in daily life.

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