Wade isn’t alone in her view that the end of the penny won’t change much. Others go even further, arguing that eliminating the coin is not only harmless but long overdue.
Close up of a penny.
With the U.S. officially discontinuing production of the penny, students across the school are sharing a wide range of reactions to the end of the familiar coin. Some say the change is long overdue, arguing that the penny has little purpose in everyday transactions. Others, however, are surprisingly upset, admitting they’re sad to see a small piece of American currency disappear.
“I found out from my family when we were eating dinner, and it was earlier this year, but I know they officially stopped producing pennies as of Wednesday,” sophomore Ivey Dunn said. It’s kind of sad because I couldn’t imagine American currency without the penny. I plan on just keeping them and seeing if they’ll double in value.”
While some students feel sentimental about losing such a familiar piece of currency, others see the change as minor in the grand scheme of things. This shift in perspective becomes clear when comparing those who plan to save their pennies to students who feel the impact will be barely noticeable.
“I found out about the pennies Saturday, and to be honest, I don’t care about pennies. I mean, sure, the value of products will probably increase by one cent, but other than that, I don’t see how this is a tragedy. This also won’t really affect me because I used dollar bills and not coins,” sophomore Zeinab Wade said.
“I saw something about the pennies on TikTok a few days ago,” junior Jackson Craig said. “Pennies are about as useless as they come; they serve no purpose or value whatsoever. In fact, I think it’s a good thing we are getting rid of the penny, and I don’t think it will have any impact on society. Although I do think people will start collecting them in case they grow in value over the next 20 years.”
While some students feel the penny has outlived its usefulness, others view the change through a more practical lens. As the news spreads across social media, many are already thinking about creative ways to repurpose the coins they have left.
“I saw on Instagram, so I wasn’t sure if it was true, but I looked it up and did some research on it. It doesn’t matter that much; most things are more electronic now, especially payment transactions. What I plan on doing with all my leftover pennies is putting them in resin on my bathroom floor into a cool design,” senior John Courtnay said.