It's curtains for the penny after more than two centuries in circulation

The penny dropped

The penny dropped.

The U.S. Mint struck the final 1-cent coin that will be used as legal tender on Wednesday, six months after the Trump administration announced that it would stop producing pennies because the cost of making them is almost four times more than they’re worth.

From now on, the only new pennies the Mint releases will be collector versions that aren't currency and will be produced "in limited quantities," the agency said in a statement.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach were at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia when the coin press punched out the historic final penny, the agency confirmed.

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds the last penny stamped at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Matthew Hatcher / Getty Images"We’re saying goodbye to the penny today, but let me just be crystal clear, like I said, it’s still legal tender," Beach said. "So you can still use it at your stores and retail outlets."