A regular U.S. penny is worth 1 cent in face value, which equals 0.01 dollars.

Basic penny value

  • A standard modern U.S. penny (the 1‑cent coin) represents one‑hundredth of a U.S. dollar.
  • That means 100 pennies add up to 1 dollar, and each individual penny is $0.01 in everyday transactions.

Collector and metal value

  • Some older or rare pennies (like certain Lincoln wheat cents) can be worth more than face value to coin collectors, sometimes several dollars or more depending on date, mint mark, and condition.
  • The metal in a modern penny costs close to or even more than 1 cent to produce, which has led to debates about whether the coin should continue to be made.

Recent changes and news

  • The penny is officially called the “cent” and has been the lowest-value U.S. coin since the half‑cent was abolished in the 1800s.
  • In February 2025, President Donald Trump directed the Treasury to halt new penny production because of high costs, although existing pennies remain legal to use at their normal value of 1 cent.