The Old Penny Is Now the Coin Collectors Are Looking for the Most

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After more than two centuries in circulation, the U.S. penny is starting to fade out. The U.S. Mint has stopped producing new pennies for general circulation after the coin became more expensive to make than it’s worth. It doesn’t mean pennies will suddenly disappear from your change jar, but it does mark the beginning of the end for the one-cent coin as we’ve known it.

And maybe that’s why people are starting to pay attention to it again.

The Penny Is Still Everywhere

According to new data from the CoinIn app, which tracks what users are buying, searching, and selling, pennies aren’t fading out the way people expected. In fact, they’re dominating. The most purchased coin in 2025 wasn’t rare or flashy. It was a modern U.S. penny, and not just one version; multiple eras of Lincoln cents showed up at the top.

Coins from 2010 to 2022 ranked first, followed by older pennies from 1959 to 1982 and 1983 to 2008. Three of the top five most purchased coins were pennies, and not rare ones either, just everyday coins most people have handled without thinking about it.

Related: America Is Phasing Out the Penny—What You Should Do With the Coins You Still Have

Why the Penny Still Matters

It’s not really about the value. If it were, people would be chasing gold coins or rare collectibles. And while those are still part of the market, they’re not what’s leading in volume.

The penny is different. It’s familiar. It’s something people recognize instantly. It’s the coin that sat in kitchen drawers, rolled around in car cup holders, and filled jars on dressers. For a lot of people, it’s tied to everyday life in a way other coins aren’t.

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