Hundreds gather at the Lincoln Memorial to mourn the penny

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - People gathered at the Lincoln Memorial Saturday in Washington to say goodbye to an American icon: the penny.

Hosted by Ramp management platform, the “funeral” comes as the United States Mint has halted production on the one-cent coin

Penny-admirers gathered around a white casket to listen to several speakers including actors impersonating former President Abraham Lincoln, whose face is on the penny, and his wife Mary Todd. Actors portraying presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson also spoke along with someone depicting President Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth.

Other speakers included a descendent of President Lincoln, Knowlton Anderson, and an economist, Ara Kharazian, who presented an “autopsy report” explaining how each penny costs more than three cents to produce.

Following the service, people “paid” their respects placing pennies in the open casket.

There was also a special penny-press machine allowing attendees to get special souvenir honoring the one-cent coin.