United States Penny Dead at 232

It took 232 years, but the penny is dead ... the last ever penny was minted Wednesday in Philadelphia.

President Trump started the penny's doomsday clock back in February, when he ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop producing new pennies.

The clock ran out today when the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia produced the final pennies to go into circulation ... the 1-cent coins had been minted there since 1793, the year after Congress passed the Coinage Act.

Pennies are still considered legal tender, but no new pennies will be made ... and it's mainly a financial decision. A single penny costs about 3 cents to produce.

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach hit the button to strike the final penny Wednesday, declaring ... "God bless America, and we're going to save the taxpayers $56 million."

Discontinuing coins is a rarity ... Beach says it hasn't happened since way back in 1857, when the half-cent was done away with.

Abraham Lincoln's been the face of the penny since 1909 ... but when the penny was born, Lady Liberty graced one side of the coin.

The penny is finished, but it's not really going away ... at least not yet ... estimates say there are about 250 BILLION pennies still in circulation.

With the penny going the way of the dodo bird, all eyes are now on the nickel ... the 5-cent coin costs about 10 cents to produce.