US Mint circulating coin production shot higher in January 2011, eclipsing the levels from December and those from the same period of a year ago.
In fact, January was the fastest production pace for the US Mint since July, and it registered as the third best monthly total in the past 12 months.
The United States Mint produced 764.73 million coins for circulation in January 2011, which was three and a half times more than its output in January 2010. June and July were the only months last year with higher production rates, as the following table highlights:
January 2010-2011 Coin Production Monthly Figures
| January 2011 | 764.73 M |
| December 2010 | 80.200 M |
| November 2010 | 531.46 M |
| October 2010 | 730.22 M |
| September 2010 | 690.02 M |
| August 2010 | 743.78 M |
| July 2010 | 772.08 M |
| June 2010 | 918.94 M |
| May 2010 | 657.22 M |
| April 2010 | 451.96 M |
| March 2010 | 384.42 M |
| February 2010 | 194.40 M |
| January 2010 | 218.41 M |
Coins that are minted for circulation are struck at the US Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia. To start the year, the Denver Mint was more than twice as busy as the Philadelphia Mint. By the end of 2011, the production levels between facilities should tighten significantly.
All denominations were produced during the month, although the US Mint did not break down totals by design for the first 2011 Presidential Dollar and the debuting 2011 America the Beautiful Quarter. This is pretty much standard for a January, as the Mint has likely not finished striking the amount of coins it needs. In fact, the Mint did not even begin producing the inaugural 2010 America the Beautiful Quarter until March, and Federal Reserve Banks had enough Jefferson nickels on hand that 2010-dated strikes were not minted until April.
US Mint 2011 Coin Production
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| Lincoln Cents | 263,200,000 | 134,800,000 | 398,000,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 77,280,000 | 15,840,000 | 93,120,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 110,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 130,000,000 |
| 2011 Quarters | 30,400,000 | 30,800,000 | 61,200,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 1,700,000 | 1,750,000 | 3,450,000 |
| Native American $1s | 4,620,000 | 1,680,000 | 6,300,000 |
| Presidential Dollars | 37,100,000 | 35,560,000 | 72,660,000 |
| Total | 524,300,000 | 240,430,000 | 764,730,000 |
At the current pace, more than 9 billion coins could be manufactured for circulation in 2011. The 2010 annual figure was nearly 6.4 billion. And in 2009, the slowest year in decades for US coinage, coin production came in at a mere 3.548 billion. In 2008 and before the recession strangled the need for change in everyday transactions, the US Mint had struck more than 10.1 billion coins.
I always hated that Moy insisted on the mintages being fairly even from both mints. I like when there’s a disparity like in the table above. If anything, it indicates actual coin demand for the half of the country each mint serves. I hope now that he is gone, that old policy ends and the trend possibly indicated in January’s production totals continues throughout the year.
I have yet 2 C any 2011 coins here on the left coast. With the copper being so expensive, I wonder how much the mint lost on the cents & nickels minted last month? When will they make the coins out of cheaper materials already? This is costing the taxpayers!!! Stop the madness, save what is left of the steel industry & make copper coated steel cents and steel nickels!!!
Native American dollar is a good topic. How about changing the series of faces of ASE silver?