It Costs 13 Cents to Make a Nickel. Sign the Common Cents Act
Congress passed a bipartisan bill, without a recorded vote against, to end the penny in law and test a cheaper nickel. In our view, President Trump should sign it and stop the Mint losing money on every penny and nickel.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 7, 2026 | 5-min read Every time the U.S. Mint strikes a nickel, taxpayers lose about eight cents. The Mint's audited books put the cost of making and shipping one five-cent coin at 13.31 cents in fiscal 2025 [1]. Congress has finally passed a fix. The bipartisan Common Cents Act passed the House by voice vote on Sept. 14 and the Senate by unanimous consent on Sept. 28, and it is headed to President Trump [3][4][5]. As of Oct. 7, Congress.gov showed no signature, and the White House did not respond to Fox News' request for comment on whether and when he plans to sign it [2][5]. In our view, he should sign it, and Treasury should then do for the nickel what it has already done for the penny: stop wasting money on metal. Key Takeaways In fiscal 2025, a penny cost 3.02 cents to make and a nickel cost 13.31 cents. Both coins have cost more than their face value for 20 straight fiscal years [1]. The Common Cents Act would end penny production in law, let cash totals be rounded to the nearest five cents when exact change cannot be provided, and let Treasury test a cheaper nickel with a zinc core [4][6]. Card, check, electronic and other non-cash