The president isn't the first person to call for an end to the penny, and this issue is deeper than wasteful spending.

President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. to stop minting pennies. His surprise announcement comes after decades of unsuccessful efforts to phase out the 1-cent coin.

New England numismatists have conflicting feelings about the potential end to a coin that has survived more than 200 years of design changes, metal compositions, and increasingly well-documented worthlessness.