Mint Appeals for Return of the Penny – United States Mint

This year alone the Mint expects to use 33,000 tons of copper in cent production—making about 35 million pennies each working day. If just 15 billion pennies could be lured out of hiding, the Mint, at current production figures, wouldn’t have to make pennies for almost 2 years and it would represent a saving of $150 million.

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/historical-documents/mint-appeals-for-return-of-the-penny