Goodbye Mr. Lincoln: 2026 Goes Penny-Less

A penny saved is a penny earned...

and in 2026, a less chaotic strategy is marketing gold!

Growing up, pennies were just part of everyday life—jingling in pockets, turning up under couch cushions, or collecting in ashtrays and jars. Mr. Lincoln's stately profile on the front felt like a quiet constant, always there when you needed exact change.

But without any parades or big announcements, the U.S. Mint struck its final circulating pennies on November 12, 2025. Production has stopped—no more new ones for everyday pockets. At the time, it cost 3.69 cents/penny to produce one. In 2024, the cost resulted in a loss of $85 million for the Mint, money that will be used elsewhere going forward. And so, in 2026, we're officially penny-less: the Federal Reserve will recirculate the billions still out there until they're lost, hoarded, or spent down, but fresh supply? Gone.

It's bittersweet. The end of a tiny childhood icon. Yet it's also liberating—less clutter in our pockets and our purses, simpler math at the register (hello, rounding to nickels), and a gentle nudge to let go of outdated habits in life... and in marketing.

Remembering the Wheat Tradition

Growing up, long, gray rainy days (or bitter cold fronts) would often find us spread out on the living room floor or at the kitchen table, dumping a jar of pennies into a pile like treasure from a forgotten chest.

Hours slipped by as we sorted them—cool metal clinking against each other, the faint coppery scent rising with every flip. We'd divide piles of coins, and slide them across the wood, each of us then inspecting our stash, and watching for the telltale sign of something special.

Flip an older penny (1909–1958), and there it was: the classic wheat back—two graceful stalks of durum wheat curving tall and proud, their delicate beards catching the light, framing "ONE CENT" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" like a quiet promise of harvest and hope.

Spotting a "Wheatie" in that jumble felt like a little victory—our own private game, a fun tradition of hunting for those optimistic symbols of growth, endless fields, and "one from many".

Mr. Lincoln always serious and steady on the front, but the wheat on the back? It danced with quiet joy, reminding us of sunny days and outdoor play, a single coin could spark wonder, a found treasure in a sea of copper circles. The wheat whispered heartland harvests, abundance, and warmth, even on the dreariest afternoons.

As pennies fade from everyday circulation, those Wheat pennies we carefully saved—tucked into jars or old cigar boxes—become even sweeter keepsakes. Frozen slices of rainy-day magic, childhood patience, and a world that felt full of small, golden discoveries.

Creating Penny Souvenirs

My mom carried her own childhood ritual: she’d place a penny on the cold steel rail of a train track, step back out of harms way, and patiently wait. The distant whistle grew into a low growl, then a thunderous roar as the locomotive barreled closer—smoke billowing in thick, swirling gray plumes, the ground trembling underfoot, the sharp metallic scream of wheels on track. Then the whoosh, the rush of hot wind, and the penny was gone—only to reappear moments later, flattened paper-thin, stretched long and strange, Lincoln’s profile warped into a grinning, elongated ghost. (The childhood myth that one little penny could derail a train? Pure fiction: the copper just surrenders to the unstoppable weight.)

For me, the magic happened in San Francisco’s souvenir machines. I’d feed a penny into the slot (plus a few quarters for the crank), turn the handle with both hands, and feel the satisfying grind as metal pressed metal. Out slid an elongated keepsake—gleaming, stretched, stamped with the fiery orange-red of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset or the clanging curves of a cable car climbing a foggy hill. Each one carried a bit of the briny sea air, the distant clang of bells, the sticky-sweet memory of saltwater taffy. Those flattened pennies still sit in a drawer somewhere, warm to the touch, heavy with golden California daydreams.

With no new pennies rolling off the presses, those machines now wait a little longer between cranks, but the tradition endures in the ones we saved—quirky copper relics of a world that’s shifting under our feet.

The Liberating Side: Less Chaos, Easier Everything

While bittersweet, there is a plus side to this change to our change.

• No more rooting through pockets for that elusive final cent while the line behind you sighs.

• Fewer coins jingling in your pocket (or purse) means less weight to carry, literally and figuratively.

• Cash rounds to the nearest nickel—transactions wrap up faster, mental math melts away, and the whole day feels a fraction lighter.

The same sweet relief waits in your marketing.

Learn to flatten the chaos the way a train flattens a penny: let the rumble of change reshape those outdated funnels, strip away the silly .99 pricing games, and silence the noisy email sequences that bury the real message.

What’s left is cleaner, stronger, more memorable—straightforward offers delivered with honest warmth, and authentic stories that land without gimmicks.

Here are some everyday wins you’ll feel right away:

• Less weight to carry (literal and mental)

• More space to create

• Bigger impact with less effort

• Customers who actually hear you

• A clearer path forward—no more confusion and chaos

Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” now flips into something fresh—save your energy, save your focus, save the hassle by rounding down the noise.

Honor the wheat fields, flattened souvenirs, and marketing lessons of the past, but step lightly into the future: simpler, freer, and full of possibility.

A Quiet Presidents’ Day Nod

This Presidents' Day, honor Mr. Lincoln's legacy of integrity by embracing change with grace.

The penny's silent retirement isn't dramatic—it's practical and freeing.

Let 2026 be the year your marketing gets penny-less too: less chaotic, simplified, and ready for bigger wins.

What’s your favorite penny memory?

Wheatie hunts, track-flattened souvenirs, tourist machine presses, or something else? Drop it in the comments below—I'd love to hear!

And if you're ready to flatten the chaos in your marketing, reach out for a strategy call.

Let’s make 2026 lighter and brighter together.