U.S. coin production snapped back in February following an atypically slower month in January, the latest figures from the United States Mint show.
Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver produced over 1.1 billion coins for circulation last month, posting increases of 26.5% from January and 6.3% from February 2020.
Here’s how the month compares against others in the past year:
February 2020 to February 2021 Circulating Coin Production
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| February 2021 | 1,163.40 M | 7 |
| January 2021 | 919.52 M | 9 |
| December 2020 | 903.50 M | 11 |
| November 2020 | 1,165.10 M | 6 |
| October 2020 | 1,404.69 M | 5 |
| September 2020 | 1,422.59 M | 4 |
| August 2020 | 1,657.06 M | 2 |
| July 2020 | 1,697.74 M | 1 |
| June 2020 | 1,596.48 M | 3 |
| May 2020 | 904.12 M | 10 |
| April 2020 | 801.84 M | 13 |
| March 2020 | 898.86 M | 12 |
| February 2020 | 1,094.30 M | 8 |
The Federal Reserve orders more 1-cent coins than any other denomination even as data shows it costs the U.S. Mint 1.76 cents to make and distribute each one. The Mint struck 532.8 million Lincoln cents last month, representing 45.8% of the circulating-quality coins produced in February.
Month-Over-Month
In month-over month comparisons for coins used daily by Americans, production totals in February increased:
- 39% Lincoln cents,
- 8.9% Jefferson nickels,
- 6.9% Roosevelt dimes, and
- 56.1% America the Beautiful quarter dollars.
Native American $1 coins and Kennedy half-dollars are no longer ordered by Federal Reserve Banks but they are still made in circulating quality for coin collectors. Typically in January, the U.S. Mint strikes both coins to the expected amounts needed for the entire year.
That wasn’t the case for 2021 halves. Mint data shows none were produced until February, and then only 1.6 million from Denver. Philadelphia’s total should be available soon. Last year’s half-dollar ended with 3.4 million from Denver and 2.3 million from Philadelphia for a combined 5.7 million.
Published mintages of 2021 Native American dollars have remained unchanged since January with equal splits of 1.26 million from Denver and 1.26 million from Philadelphia for a combined 2.52 million coins. In contrast, the 2020 dollar saw 1.26 million for Denver and 1.4 million for Philadelphia for 2.66 million coins.
The U.S. Mint started selling rolls and bags of 2021 Native American dollars on Feb. 16. Rolls and bags of 2021 Kennedy halves are scheduled for release on May 11.
Here’s a summary of all circulating-quality coins produced last month:
US Mint Circulating Coin Production in February 2021
| Denomination | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Cents | 342,800,000 | 190,000,000 | 532,800,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 82,600,000 | 82,100,000 | 164,700,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 143,500,000 | 145,000,000 | 288,500,000 |
| Quarters | 114,000,000 | 61,800,000 | 175,800,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 1,600,000 | 0 | 1,600,000 |
| Native American $1s | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 684,500,000 | 478,900,000 | 1,163,400,000 |
U.S. Mint plants in Denver and Philadelphia manufacture all of America’s coins for commerce. Last month, the Denver Mint made 684.5 million coins and the Philadelphia Mint made 478.9 million coins for the combined 1,163,400,000 coins.
In the January to February period, the Denver Mint struck 1,220,560,000 coins and the Philadelphia Mint made 862,360,000 coins. They combine for a year to date total of 2,082,920,000 coins, which is 10.3% less than the 2,322,380,000 coins minted in the first two months of last year.
This next table lists 2021 coin production totals by denomination and by U.S. Mint facility:
YTD 2021 Circulating Coin Production by Denomination
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Total: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 549.2M | 160.6M | 300.5M | 207.4M | 1.6M | 1.26M | 1220.56M |
| Philadelphia | 366.8M | 155.3M | 258M | 81M | 0M | 1.26M | 862.36M |
| Total | 916M | 315.9M | 558.5M | 288.4M | 1.6M | 2.52M | 2082.92M |
If the current production pace stretched through to December, the annual mintage for 2021 would end near 12.5 billion coins. The U.S. Mint made over 14.77 billion coins for circulation in 2020.
Mintages by Unique Design
In addition to the Native American dollar, the U.S. Mint released another coin with a one-year-only design — the 2021 Tuskegee Airmen quarter for Alabama. The quarter figures above show just a portion of those minted so far. Their final mintages should be available in the next report.
This last table offers a breakdown of this year’s mintages that have been reported by coin design:
2021 Circulating Coin Production by Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Cent | 549,200,000 | 366,800,000 | 916,000,000 |
| Jefferson Nickel | 160,600,000 | 155,300,000 | 315,900,000 |
| Roosevelt Dime | 300,500,000 | 258,000,000 | 558,500,000 |
| Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Quarter (Alabama) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollar | 1,600,000 | 0 | 1,600,000 |
| Native American $1 Coin | 1,260,000 | 1,260,000 | 2,520,000 |
| Total | 1,013,160,000 | 781,360,000 | 1,794,520,000 |
The Congress is wasting 1.8 trillion dollars. I’m not greatly concerned with 1.8 cents, under the circumstances.
Do not worry. The mint makes up for the loss on the dimes and other larger denominations. I prefer the amount stamped on the coin to be the actual value of the coin.
Yet. I a simpleton can’t get a brand new roll of anything at my TCF bank in Michigan. They can’t give it to me because of shutdown or COVID excuses.