The push to put pennies out of circulation that was kicked off during the Super Bowl by President Donald Trump ultimately depends on Congress, which has shown reluctance to cancel the 232-year-old coin since one of the first serious proposals to do so during the administration of President Gerald Ford.
Although momentum may be building toward a penny purge, as fewer and fewer Americans use them in commerce, there are both economic and sentimental arguments for keeping 1-cent pieces, including from companies that make the nation’s currency.
So far Congress has taken those appeals to heart, with numerous bills to stop penny production languishing in both the House and Senate in recent decades.
