News & Media

The U.S. Mint has stopped producing pennies. The last penny was minted on November 12^th 2025 in Philadelphia marking an end to the lowest form of currency. While pennies are still legal tender and can be deposited, banks can no longer order new ones from the Federal Reserve. In response to this, you may have already noticed various retailers have signs requesting patrons to pay with exact change or suggest that you use debit cards.

What do consumers need to know?

• Pennies remain legal tender. You can deposit and use pennies in cash transactions as normal. We encourage you to recirculate coins you have on hand to ease the demand for supply.
• Blue Ridge Bank is committed to minimizing disruption. We continue to accept and process pennies today.
• Blue Ridge Bank is limiting requests for rolls of pennies.  As supplies continue to decrease, we will keep you informed of any changes that may impact your penny needs.

What do businesses need to know?

• You may continue to deposit or exchange pennies already on hand. The Federal Reserve has stated it will continue to accept penny deposits from banks and credit unions, although deposit locations may change as inventories are depleted.
• When pennies are unavailable, you may consider rounding cash payments to the nearest five cents following Federal Reserve guidance: Rounding Up: The Impact of Phasing Out the Penny.
  We recommend businesses begin planning to round their own cash transactions.
• Non-cash payments (cards, checks, electronic payments) remain unchanged. Only cash transactions require rounding.  Encourage your clientele to use these methods when it makes sense.

We understand this is a change for everyone and we are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for you and/or your business. Please contact your local BRB representative, call our customer service team: (888) 331-6521 to discuss how we can support you during this transition.

We will update this page as new information becomes available.