> During the past year, the penny's costs have only continued to rise, with the U.S. Mint's 2024 annual report finding that one cent now costs about 3.7 cents to manufacture and distribute.
Pennies are mostly made of zinc, with a copper overlay to give them their distinctive color. While zinc's price fluctuates from year to year, its cost per metric ton is now double what it was in 2016, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Federal officials have proposed suspending the penny in prior years, with former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew pushing the idea in 2015. Some e…