Markedly more banknotes were printed in September than a month and year earlier, data from the agency responsible for printing U.S. currency shows. Their combined value, however, was mixed — modestly lower than in August but sharply higher than in September 2014.
678.4 million in $1s, $2s, $5s, $10s, $20s, $50s and $100s were printed during the month for a combined value of more than $18.8 billion, according to Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) production figures published on Monday, Oct. 19. These levels compare to the prior month’s 631 million notes worth over $19.3 billion.
In percentage comparisons from August to September, there were 7.5% more banknotes but they had a 2.8% lower total value. In other monthly differences, there were:
- 10.9% more $1s;
- 11.1% fewer $5s; and
- 15.4% fewer $100s.
The number of $10s and $20s matched. Also in September, the BEP pressed $2s for the first time since January and $50s for the first time since December.
Compared to a year earlier, the number of notes surged 39.3% from 487,040,000 and their combined value soared 287.1% from $4,857,600,000.
Below are images of the BEP’s latest monthly production report. They show the type of banknotes manufactured in September at the agency’s two printing facilities.
September 2015 BEP Banknote Production
Facility at Washington, DC
Facility at Fort Worth, TX
Atypically, no star notes were printed last month. Star notes are replacements for misprinted/damaged notes and for certain serial numbers like 000 000 000. Star notes have serial numbers that end with a star "*" designation. Money collectors usually find them more desirable since they can be harder to find.
The following table lists the type, the amount and the total value of banknotes printed by the BEP for the month:
Banknotes by Denomination: Total Printed and Values
September 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 326,400,000 | 326,400,000 |
| $2.00 | 6,400,000 | 12,800,000 |
| $5.00 | 51,200,000 | 256,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 44,800,000 | 448,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 64,000,000 | 1,280,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 41,600,000 | 2,080,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 144,000,000 | 14,400,000,000 |
| Totals | 678,400,000 | 18,803,200,000 |
As a perspective, the BEP in FY 2014 printed about 24.8 million banknotes a day with a face value of approximately $560 million. That pace accounts for about 8.9 tons of ink each day. The agency delivered approximately 6.2 billion notes at an average cost of 10 cents per banknote. The BEP indicates that more than 90% of paper notes printed each year are for replacing those already in, or taken out of circulation.
For comparison, four previous monthly money production tables follow.
August 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 294,400,000 | 294,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 57,600,000 | 288,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 44,800,000 | 448,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 64,000,000 | 1,280,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 170,240,000 | 17,024,000,000 |
| Totals | 631,040,000 | 19,334,400,000 |
July 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $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 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 163,456,000 | 16,345,600,000 |
| Totals | 566,656,000 | 19,776,000,000 |
June 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $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 |
It’s interesting that $2 production has seen an uptick. IIRC this is the first time in many years that two print runs have been made in a calendar year.
Of course the whole question would be moot if Congress weren’t beholden to Crane Paper and the “don’t ever change anything about our money” crowd.
M1 $ supply is larger than King Kong……the # of $$ in circulation is ridiculous- but to those who have gold & silver one day, sooner tather than later, you’ll be rewarded, the inflation books are cooked, & the Fed is sham…they maise rates, they may go negative….as George Costanza would say: “Prognosis negative…”