From 1793 to 2025, Penny ruled the world of change. For its nearly two and a half centuries of life, it was the poster child of American consumerism. The ripple effect of Penny’s death has shocked the country and the Garfield community. One Garfield senior, Viraj Kannan, said he learned of the news on Instagram Reels. Kannan himself is a coin fanatic and walks around with a pouch of coins in his backpack. “When I walk with my bag, you can hear the coins jingling,” Kannan said. He claimed to have at least 40 pennies on him at school, and hundreds more at his house. Kannan said that this is “going to greatly impact our society, it’s all going to be crazy and stuff. It means a lot to me because I have a lot of pennies.” Kannan said that the economy is to blame. “It was this legendary object that got discontinued because it wasn’t good for the economy, and it just sucks. No one’s happy with it, but we got to do it.” Despite the challenges Kannan is facing from the news, he has found a glimpse of light. He said he’s “kind of glad because now the pennies that I have are worth so much more.” While this may not be true, the thought will help him sleep at night, despite the turbulence in the coin collecting world.
The Trump Administration t decided to discontinue this bronze icon due to the cost of production being over three times the value of the coin itself. This has raised concerns about who is next on the chopping block. All eyes have shifted to Penny’s big brother, Nickel. Worth 5 cents, Nickel takes almost 14 cents to be produced, leading to the question of if it will remain in rotation. When asked about their future fate, Nickel expressed extreme concern and fear. “That puts me right at the bottom of the food chain,” Nickel said.
While Penny may have had little financial value, its cultural value was undeniable. The stoic portrait of Abe Lincoln will be gone forever, leaving one of the United States’ most notable presidents without a coin nor bill in his honor. It was hard to secure an interview with the 16th president of the United States, considering he is 6-feet under, but The Messenger finally got ahold of him. While Lincoln was initially outraged, he understood the decision eventually. “That’s outrageous, but I guess at the end of the day, it’s all about money,” Lincoln said.
Penny will be greatly missed, but never forgotten. The next time you see Penny on the ground, pick it up, cherish it, and give it to Viraj Kannan.
