Slightly fewer banknotes were produced last month than in June but more than a year earlier, data from the agency responsible for printing U.S. currency shows. The combined value of the notes was also lower than the previous month when it was the highest in 1-3/4 years. It was sharply higher than in July of last year, however.
Over 566.6 million in $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s and $100s were printed last month for a total of more than $19.7 billion, according to the latest Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) production figures. These levels compare to prior-month totals of 576.2 million notes worth over $20.8 billion, the highest amount since September 2013.
In month-over-month percentage comparisons, July saw 1.7% fewer banknotes and their combined value declined by 5.1%. In other monthly differences, there was:
- 3.8% more $1s;
- 5% fewer $20s; and
- 5.4% fewer $100s.
The number of $5s matched those from June and the amount of $10s was the same for a second month in a row. The BEP has not produced $50s for seven straight months and presses for $2s have been silent for six months in a row. In January, $2s were made for the first time since June 2014.
Compared to a year earlier, the number of notes rose 5.8% from 535,680,000 while their combined value jumped 78.4% from $11,088,000,000.
Below are images of the BEP’s latest monthly production report. They show the type of banknotes manufactured in July at each of the agency’s printing facility:
July 2015 BEP Banknote Production
Facility at Washington, DC
Facility at Fort Worth, TX
In July, the BEP produced 3.456 million in $100 star notes. These are indicated by the "*" designator in the money production chart directly above. Star notes are replacements for misprinted notes or certain serial numbers, like 000 000 000. Money collectors find them more desirable since they are rarer and more difficult to find.
The following table lists the type, the amount and the total value of banknotes printed by the BEP for the month:
Banknotes by Denomination: Total Printed and Values
July 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 166,400,000 | 166,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 64,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 51,200,000 | 512,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 121,600,000 | 2,432,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 163,456,000 | 16,345,600,000 |
| Totals | 566,656,000 | 19,776,000,000 |
As a perspective, the BEP in FY 2014 printed about 24.8 million banknotes a day with a face value of about $560 million. That pace accounts for about 8.9 tons of ink each day. The agency delivered approximately 6.2 billion notes at an average cost of 10 cents per banknote. The BEP indicates that more than 90% of paper notes printed each year are used to replace those already in, or taken out of circulation.
For comparison, four previous monthly money production tables follow.
June 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 160,250,000 | 160,250,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 64,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 51,200,000 | 512,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 128,000,000 | 2,560,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 172,800,000 | 17,280,000,000 |
| Totals | 576,250,000 | 20,832,250,000 |
May 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 118,400,000 | 118,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 57,600,000 | 288,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 51,200,000 | 512,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 150,720,000 | 3,014,400,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 160,128,000 | 16,012,800,000 |
| Totals | 538,048,000 | 19,945,600,000 |
April 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 185,600,000 | 185,600,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 64,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 57,600,000 | 576,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 179,200,000 | 3,584,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 108,928,000 | 10,892,800,000 |
| Totals | 595,328,000 | 15,558,400,000 |
March 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 198,400,000 | 198,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 57,600,000 | 288,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 57,600,000 | 576,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 172,800,000 | 3,456,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 43,520,000 | 4,352,000,000 |
| Totals | 529,920,000 | 8,870,400,000 |
