The United States Department of the Treasury has confirmed that the U.S. Mint has ended
production of new one-cent coins (pennies). The final batch of pennies was minted in
August 2025, and manufacturing will formally conclude once remaining materials are used,
which is expected in early 2026.
All existing pennies remain legal tender and may continue to be used for purchases or
deposited at financial institutions.
How this affects Perth Amboy residents
Pennies are still valid
Residents can continue to use pennies at local businesses or deposit them at banks and
credit unions. There is no deadline for using existing pennies.
Cash payments may be rounded
As pennies become less available in circulation, some businesses may begin rounding
cash totals to the nearest five cents after taxes and fees are applied.
This rounding applies only to the final total of a cash transaction.
Electronic payments, including credit and debit cards and other digital methods,
will continue to settle to the exact cent and are not affected by the change.
City of Perth Amboy payments
The City of Perth Amboy will continue to accept pennies for Tax, Water, and other
municipal payments as long as pennies remain in circulation. If rounding is applied in
the future, it will affect only the change given back on cash transactions, not the
amount owed.
Why penny production is ending
For many years, it has cost more to manufacture a penny than the coin is worth. Ending
penny production is intended to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of the nation’s
coinage system.
Questions?
For more information about how this change relates to municipal payments in Perth Amboy,
please contact the Tax Collector’s Office: