Connecticut Faces A Surprising Penny Shortage That Affects You

Break open those piggy banks, or keep those soon-to-be collectors items? I'm finally starting to notice the national penny shortage in Connecticut.

Have you noticed that if you pay for something with cash lately you may be getting whatever it is you were buying a few pennies cheaper? Stores have been rounding down more and more recently here and across the nation due to the national penny shortage.

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In case you haven't noticed or heard, the US Government has made the decision to stop producing new pennies by early 2026. The last order of blanks for new pennies was delivered over this past Summer, and our mints are pounding away at the very last 1 cent coins we may see in our lifetime. Why is this happening? The US Treasury figured out that producing and distributing a new penny costs almost 4 cents, and taxpayers incurred a loss of over $85 million dollars in 2024.

My wife works in retail, and she was the first to bring this shortage to my attention after a recent trip to the bank for her work. Banks are now rationing their supply of pennies trying to get them to their customers who are most in need. I noticed the first signs of shortage during a trip to the Big Y in Torrington, there were signs at each register warning customers about the problem, and asking for exact change if possible.

How are stores handling the elimination of the penny? By rounding out the final total up or down to the nearest nickel, and most retailers have to round down. Next on the US coin hit list? The nickel.