Banknote production in September dipped from a month earlier but the combined value of the notes was higher, data from the agency that prints U.S. currency shows.
720.5 million in $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s, $50s, and $100s were printed last month for a combined value of about $16.8 billion, according to Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) figures. The agency this month released data for August as well. Those figures show production levels of 720.67 million notes worth nearly $15.3 billion.
In month-over-month percentage comparisons, the BEP made 0.02% fewer banknotes while their combined value was 10.2% higher. In other monthly differences, there were:
- 2% fewer $1s;
- 16.2% fewer $20s;
- 53.8% more $50s; and
- 10.7% more $100s.
The number of $5s and $10s matched in both months. The BEP last made $2s in July, and it is not expected to make more for some time. The Federal Reserve noted that their FY 2016 order for $2s was enough to meet demand for "multiple years."
Compared to the same month a year earlier, the number of notes climbed 6.2% while their combined value fell 10.5%.
Below are images of the BEP’s latest monthly production report. They show the type of banknotes manufactured at the agency’s two printing facilities.
September 2016 BEP Banknote Production
Facility at Washington, DC
Facility at Fort Worth, TX
The BEP printed 3.7 million star notes, split across $1s and $100s. Star notes are replacements for misprinted or damaged notes and for certain serial numbers like 000 000 000. They have serial numbers that end with a star “*” designation, and are also so indicated by quantities in the images above. Money collectors usually find star notes more desirable since they can be harder to find.
The following table lists the type, the amount and the total value of banknotes printed by the BEP for the month:
Banknotes by Denomination: Total Printed and Values
September 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 314,100,000 | 314,100,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 76,800,000 | 384,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 32,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 134,400,000 | 2,688,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 64,000,000 | 3,200,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 99,200,000 | 9,920,000,000 |
| Totals | 720,500,000 | 16,826,100,000 |
For comparison, four previous monthly money production tables follow.
August 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 320,350,000 | 320,350,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 76,800,000 | 384,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 32,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 160,320,000 | 3,206,400,000 |
| $50.00 | 41,600,000 | 2,080,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 89,600,000 | 8,960,000,000 |
| Totals | 720,670,000 | 15,270,750,000 |
July 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 195,200,000 | 195,200,000 |
| $2.00 | 44,800,000 | 89,600,000 |
| $5.00 | 77,120,000 | 385,600,000 |
| $10.00 | 44,800,000 | 448,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 128,000,000 | 2,560,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 96,000,000 | 9,600,000,000 |
| Totals | 585,920,000 | 13,278,400,000 |
June 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 249,600,000 | 249,600,000 |
| $2.00 | 35,200,000 | 70,400,000 |
| $5.00 | 76,800,000 | 384,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 64,000,000 | 640,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 134,400,000 | 2,688,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 96,000,000 | 9,600,000,000 |
| Totals | 656,000,000 | 13,632,000,000 |
May 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 204,800,000 | 204,800,000 |
| $2.00 | 44,800,000 | 89,600,000 |
| $5.00 | 70,400,000 | 352,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 64,000,000 | 640,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 128,000,000 | 2,560,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 9,600,000 | 480,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 83,840,000 | 8,384,000,000 |
| Totals | 605,440,000 | 12,710,400,000 |
As a perspective, the BEP in FY 2015 delivered about 7 billion notes at an average cost of 10 cents each, and needed about 8.7 tons of ink each day to print them. More than 90% of the banknotes printed are for replacing those already in, or taken out of circulation.
According to data from the Federal Reserve, there was approximately $1.48 trillion in circulation as of Oct. 2, 2016, of which $1.43 trillion was in Federal Reserve notes.
The BEP operates on a fiscal year that begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. For FY 2017, the Fed ordered 7.1 billion banknotes.
