Penny (United States coin)

Imagine a coin so small it can fit on your fingertip! That's the penny, also called a cent. It's worth just one little piece of a dollar. For a super long time, it's been the smallest coin you can use in the United States. Before the penny, there was even a smaller coin called a half-cent, but it's not made anymore. The penny is like the little sibling of all the money!

The very first pennies were made a super long time ago, way back in 1793! They were made of copper, which made them a little heavier. The United States Mint, a special place that makes all our money, started making them. Back then, a penny had to be made of a certain amount of copper, exactly eleven penny-weights. That's like a special recipe for making money!

Have you ever looked closely at a penny? You'll see the face of a very important president, Abraham Lincoln! His face has been on the penny since 1909, which was 100 years after he was born. The back of the penny has changed a few times. For a long time, it showed the Lincoln Memorial, a big building. Now, it has a cool shield design!

Even though a penny is small, it's been super important. It helps us buy little things, like candy or a sticker. But guess what? It costs more to make a penny than it's actually worth! Sometimes, the metal to make a penny costs more than one cent. Because of this, people are talking about whether we should stop making pennies. But don't worry, they're still good to use!