Staff Reports
In a new interview with Just the News, U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and Bureau of Engraving and Printing Acting Director Michael Brown laid out a bold currency play: the Mint struck the last penny, a set of those final cents fetched roughly $16.76 million at auction, and the Mint is rolling out a Trump $1 coin that the Treasury team says flew off the site. If you like money that makes a statement — and Democrats hate it — welcome to the new era of American cash.
Beach’s big reveals: auction, coin sales and presidential pride
Beach told Just the News the Mint “struck the last penny ever” and that the auction of the final sets surpassed expectations, bringing in about $16.7 million. That auction result is independently confirmed by the numismatic house that handled the sale. Beach also said President Donald Trump personally called to celebrate the result — a detail Beach supplied in the interview and worth attributing directly to him. The interview claim that the new Trump $1 coin “sold out” on the Mint’s website in about four hours comes from Beach and Brown; the production and authorization of a Trump‑obverse $1 coin, however, is a program the Treasury and Mint have publicly announced and previewed.
The end of the penny: savings, symbolism and spectacle
Cutting the penny was sensible long before it became a headline stunt. The coin has cost more to make than it’s worth for years, and the Treasury has framed ending production as a cost‑saving move. Turning the last pennies into a collectible auction was smart PR and smart politics — it raised millions and put a bow on a practical reform. Critics who clutch their pocket change like relics can kvetch about tradition; real leaders trim dead weight and let markets set the price of nostalgia.
Trump dollar coin, $100 bills and the legal reality
Beach and Brown say the Trump dollar coin will be legal tender, available in bank rolls, and that initial Mint stock went fast. That matches public reporting that the semiquincentennial program includes a Trump $1 coin in a gold‑hued finish. Their claim that $100 bills bearing President Trump’s signature are already in circulation, though, is a stronger assertion coming from the interview and lacks independent confirmation in public BEP or Federal Reserve releases. It’s also worth remembering: putting a living person on circulating paper currency runs into long‑standing legal and political constraints and would likely need action from Congress.
Let the market decide — and Congress get to work
These moves are political and practical at once. They give the American people a chance to hold something that celebrates a presidency and to pay less for minting pennies that nobody wants. To critics who howl about tradition or norms, answer this: would you prefer expensive pennies and stale symbolism, or fewer coins, smarter spending and a currency that reflects this country’s moment? If Washington wants to make real, lasting change — especially on paper notes — Congress should step up, clear the legal path, and let the Mint and Treasury finish the job. Meanwhile, if a collector paid millions for a penny, congratulations to the private market — and to the administration for turning common sense into headline economics.
