Rick Harrison says final US pennies may fetch 6 figures each, says nickel is ‘next to go.’ Why that’s a big red flag

The U.S. Mint struck the final five pennies on Nov. 12 and has ended penny production — a move the Treasury expects will save roughly $56 million a year — though pennies remain legal tender; the decision follows fiscal 2024 data showing each penny cost 3.69 cents to mint (an $85.3 million loss) and the nickel cost 13.78 cents (a $17.7 million loss), prompting commentary that the nickel could be next to go. Collectors and media personalities have speculated the last pennies could fetch very high numismatic premiums, but the broader story is fiscal: persistent money printing and inflation have eroded the purchasing power of small denominations, forcing policy and operational changes at the Mint and sharpening investor interest in inflation hedges. The article links these developments to market behavior — citing a surge in gold (up ~50% year-over-year) and increased demand for real estate and alternative assets — underscoring implications for portfolio positioning amid ongoing currency erosion.

Analysis

The U.S. Mint struck the final five pennies on Nov. 12, a move the Treasury expects will save roughly $56 million annually; fiscal 2024 data show each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce (a reported $85.3 million loss) and each nickel cost 13.78 cents (a $17.7 million loss), driving public and political scrutiny of low-denomination coinage. Pawn-shop personality Rick Harrison and media commentary have speculated high numismatic premiums for the final pennies—Harrison suggested "a couple of hundred thousand apiece"—but the article notes pennies remain legal tender and such valuations are speculative.

The story frames the minting decision as symptomatic of broader monetary pressures: the piece cites money printing and a long-term erosion of purchasing power (the Fed Minneapolis estimate that $100 in 2025 buys what $12.05 did in 1970) and links that dynamic to investor flows into stores of value. Gold has risen more than 50% year-over-year and industry voices like Ray Dalio argue for underallocated gold as a portfolio diversifier, while housing prices (S&P CoreLogic Case‑Shiller U.S. National Index) are reported up 47% over five years.

The article then highlights practical investor options and barriers: Goldco advertises gold IRAs (minimum $10,000 and a silver match), Arrived offers residential crowdfunding from $100, FNRP targets accredited investors from $50,000 for grocery-anchored commercial property, and Masterworks cites 25 exits distributing $65m—each representing different liquidity, minimums and operational trade-offs. Market sentiment signaled in the piece is mildly negative and cautious, underscoring that these shifts are driven by fiscal cost realities and inflation risks rather than a single collectible windfall.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Increase tactical exposure to gold or gold-linked vehicles (physical, ETFs or a gold IRA) as an inflation hedge given the reported >50% year-over-year move and commentary on currency debasement
• Add real-estate exposure via diversified, lower-friction channels (crowdfunding platforms or grocery-anchored commercial funds) rather than buying single properties directly, noting Arrived and FNRP minimums and the reported 47% five-year home price gain
• Allocate a small, diversified allocation to alternative collectibles (e.g., fractional art via Masterworks) for scarcity-driven diversification while acknowledging limited liquidity and platform-specific track records
• Avoid treating the final pennies as a core investment: numismatic valuations are speculative and illiquid, so refrain from meaningful capital commitment absent verifiable market prices
• Monitor Mint production costs, Treasury policy signals (nickel cost 13.78 cents) and inflation metrics as leading indicators to adjust hedges and duration exposure in fixed-income and equity allocations