U.S. coining presses were busy in 2016 but they did get a bit of relief from 2015 when they struck the most coins since 2001, according to annual production figures released by the United States Mint.
Production facilities in Philadelphia and Denver shipped over 16 billion coins to Federal Reserve Banks for distribution into the economy, marking a 6% decrease from the more than 17 billion made during the previous year. In 2015, demand for coinage was so high that the U.S. Mint expanded operations and hired more people to fulfill coin orders. The year marked a sixth straight for growth.
Still, the production pace in 2016 was easily the second quickest for a year since 2001, and 351.5% faster than when mintages reached their bottom in 2009 at just over 3.5 billion coins.
Here is a breakdown of the annual coin production levels adjusted on a per coin basis from 2015 to 2016:
US Mint Annual Coin Production (2016 vs 2015)
| Year 2015 | Year 2016 | 2016 Unit Gain / Loss | 2016 % Gain / Loss | |
| Cents | 9,365,300,000 | 9,118,400,000 | -246,900,000 | -2.6% |
| Nickels | 1,599,600,000 | 1,546,560,000 | -53,040,000 | -3.3% |
| Dimes | 3,041,010,000 | 2,954,000,000 | -87,010,000 | -2.9% |
| Quarters | 2,990,820,000 | 2,356,030,000 | -634,790,000 | -21.2% |
| Half Dollars | 4,600,000 | 4,200,000 | -400,000 | -8.7% |
| Native American $1 | 5,040,000 | 4,900,000 | -140,000 | -2.8% |
| Presidential $1s | 40,330,000 | 33,320,000 | -7,010,000 | -17.4% |
| Total | 17,046,700,000 | 16,017,410,000 | -1,029,290,000 | -6.0% |
When looking at the above table, keep in mind that Presidential $1 Coins, Native American $1 Coins and Kennedy half-dollars are no longer produced for circulation — Federal Reserve Banks do not order them from the U.S. Mint. They are now only made in much smaller quantities for sale in products for coin collectors.
All U.S. coins for circulation originate from either the Denver Mint or Philadelphia Mint. Last year, the facility in Denver made over 7.8 billion coins while the one in Philadelphia made more than 8.2 billion coins.
In unit totals and as typical, Lincoln cents won among denominations with more than 9.1 billion made, representing 56.9% of last year’s production total. Ironically, each costs 1.5 cents to strike and distribute so the most made U.S. coin is a money-loser.
These next two tables show 2016 circulating coin mintages by production facility, denomination and design:
YTD 2016 Circulating Coin Production by Denomination
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Pres $1 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 4420.4M | 759.6M | 1437.M | 1164.4M | 2.1M | 2.1M | 15.26M | 7800.86M |
| Philadelphia | 4698.M | 786.96M | 1517.M | 1191.63M | 2.1M | 2.8M | 18.06M | 8216.55M |
| Total | 9118.4M | 1546.56M | 2954.M | 2356.03M | 4.2M | 4.9M | 33.32M | 16017.41M |
2016 Circulating Coin Production by Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| Lincoln Cents | 4,420,400,000 | 4,698,000,000 | 9,118,400,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 759,600,000 | 786,960,000 | 1,546,560,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 1,437,000,000 | 1,517,000,000 | 2,954,000,000 |
| Shawnee National Forest Quarter | 151,800,000 | 155,600,000 | 307,400,000 |
| Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Quarter | 223,200,000 | 215,400,000 | 438,600,000 |
| Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Quarter | 424,000,000 | 434,630,000 | 858,630,000 |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park Quarter | 223,200,000 | 231,600,000 | 454,800,000 |
| Fort Moultrie Quarter | 142,200,000 | 154,400,000 | 296,600,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 2,100,000 | 2,100,000 | 4,200,000 |
| Native American $1 | 2,100,000 | 2,800,000 | 4,900,000 |
| Richard M. Nixon $1 | 4,340,000 | 5,460,000 | 9,800,000 |
| Gerald R. Ford $1 | 5,040,000 | 5,460,000 | 10,500,000 |
| Ronald Reagan $1 | 5,880,000 | 7,140,000 | 13,020,000 |
| Total | 7,800,860,000 | 8,216,550,000 | 16,017,410,000 |
Until 2016, mintages of the U.S. Mint’s series of America the Beautiful Quarters® had grown stronger each year. They topped 2.35 billion in 2016, falling 21.2% from the nearly 3 billion struck in the previous year. Mintages going back to the start of the series reached:
- 347 million in 2010;
- 391.2 million in 2011;
- 568 million in 2012;
- 1.455 billion in 2013;
- 1.58 billion in 2014; and
- 2.99 billion in 2015.
Thirty-five different quarter designs have been released through 2016. The year again brought a change to the quarter sitting with the highest mintage. The leader by design is now the 2016 Harpers Ferry National Historical quarter for West Virginia at 858.63 million.
The 2012 Chaco Culture National Historical Park quarter for New Mexico remains at the bottom of the production charts with a total mintage of 44 million. (The scarcest ABQ issue by production facility is the Denver Mint-struck 2012-D Acadia National Park quarter at 21.6 million. The ‘P’ and ‘D’ Chaco Culture quarters follow with each at 22 million.)
The U.S. Mint has made more than 9.6 billion America the Beautiful Quarters since the series launched in 2010. Each quarter honors a different national park or national site in the United States or its territories. Here is a breakdown of production totals by quarter design and coin production facility:
2010 – 2016 America the Beautiful Quarters Mintages
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| 2010 Hot Springs National Park | 34,000,000 | 35,600,000 | 69,600,000 |
| 2010 Yellowstone National Park | 34,800,000 | 33,600,000 | 68,400,000 |
| 2010 Yosemite National Park | 34,800,000 | 35,200,000 | 70,000,000 |
| 2010 Grand Canyon National Park | 35,400,000 | 34,800,000 | 70,200,000 |
| 2010 Mount Hood National Forest | 34,400,000 | 34,400,000 | 68,800,000 |
| 2011 Gettysburg National Military Park | 30,400,000 | 30,800,000 | 61,200,000 |
| 2011 Glacier National Park | 31,200,000 | 30,400,000 | 61,600,000 |
| 2011 Olympic National Park | 30,600,000 | 30,400,000 | 61,000,000 |
| 2011 Vicksburg National Military Park | 33,400,000 | 30,800,000 | 64,200,000 |
| 2011 Chickasaw National Recreation Area | 69,400,000 | 73,800,000 | 143,200,000 |
| 2012 El Yunque Quarter | 25,000,000 | 25,800,000 | 50,800,000 |
| 2012 Chaco Culture Quarter | 22,000,000 | 22,000,000 | 44,000,000 |
| 2012 Acadia Quarter | 21,606,000 | 24,800,000 | 46,406,000 |
| 2012 Hawai’i Quarter | 78,600,000 | 46,200,000 | 124,800,000 |
| 2012 Denali Quarter | 166,600,000 | 135,400,000 | 302,000,000 |
| 2013 White Mountain Quarter | 107,600,000 | 68,800,000 | 176,400,000 |
| 2013 Perry’s Victory Quarter | 131,600,000 | 107,800,000 | 239,400,000 |
| 2013 Great Basin Quarter | 141,400,000 | 122,400,000 | 263,800,000 |
| 2013 Fort McHenry Quarter | 151,400,000 | 120,000,000 | 271,400,000 |
| 2013 Mount Rushmore Quarter | 272,400,000 | 231,800,000 | 504,200,000 |
| 2014 Great Smoky Mountains Quarter | 99,400,000 | 73,200,000 | 172,600,000 |
| 2014 Shenandoah National Park Quarter | 197,800,000 | 112,800,000 | 310,600,000 |
| 2014 Arches National Park Quarter | 251,400,000 | 214,200,000 | 465,600,000 |
| 2014 Great Sand Dunes Quarter | 171,800,000 | 159,600,000 | 331,400,000 |
| 2014 Everglades National Park Quarter | 142,400,000 | 157,601,200 | 300,001,200 |
| 2015 Homestead National Monument of America Quarter | 248,600,000 | 214,400,000 | 463,000,000 |
| 2015 Kisatchie National Forest Quarter | 379,600,000 | 397,200,000 | 776,800,000 |
| 2015 Blue Ridge Parkway Quarter | 505,200,000 | 325,616,000 | 830,816,000 |
| 2015 Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Quarter | 206,400,000 | 275,000,000 | 481,400,000 |
| 2015 Saratoga National Historical Park Quarter | 215,800,000 | 223,000,000 | 438,800,000 |
| 2016 Shawnee National Forest Quarter | 151,800,000 | 155,600,000 | 307,400,000 |
| 2016 Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Quarter | 223,200,000 | 215,400,000 | 438,600,000 |
| 2016 Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Quarter | 424,000,000 | 434,630,000 | 858,630,000 |
| 2016 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Quarter | 223,200,000 | 231,600,000 | 454,800,000 |
| 2016 Fort Moultrie Quarter | 142,200,000 | 154,400,000 | 296,600,000 |
| Total | 5,069,406,000 | 4,619,047,200 | 9,688,460,000 |
Notably, the U.S. Mint’s program of Presidential $1 Coins ended in 2016 with the final three dollars honoring Nixon, Ford and Reagan. Mintages of the three reached a combined 33.32 million coins, down 5.2% from the 2015 Presidential dollar total of 35.14 million.
Since the inception of the series in 2007, over 2.56 billion dollars have been produced. Recent annual totals are modest compared to the pre-2012 years when the coins were made for circulation.
Here’s a look at the program’s combined mintages and splits by minting facility:
2007 – 2016 Presidential $1 Coin Mintages
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| 2007 George Washington $1 | 163,680,000 | 176,680,000 | 340,360,000 |
| 2007 John Adams $1 | 112,140,000 | 112,420,000 | 224,560,000 |
| 2007 Thomas Jefferson $1 | 102,810,000 | 100,800,000 | 203,610,000 |
| 2007 James Madison $1 | 87,780,000 | 84,560,000 | 172,340,000 |
| 2008 James Monroe $1 | 60,230,000 | 64,260,000 | 124,490,000 |
| 2008 John Quincy Adams $1 | 57,720,000 | 57,540,000 | 115,260,000 |
| 2008 Andrew Jackson $1 | 61,070,000 | 61,180,000 | 122,250,000 |
| 2008 Martin Van Buren $1 | 50,960,000 | 51,520,000 | 102,480,000 |
| 2009 William H. Harrison $1 | 55,160,000 | 43,260,000 | 98,420,000 |
| 2009 John Tyler $1 | 43,540,000 | 43,540,000 | 87,080,000 |
| 2009 James K. Polk $1 | 41,720,000 | 46,620,000 | 88,340,000 |
| 2009 Zachary Taylor $1 | 36,680,000 | 41,580,000 | 78,260,000 |
| 2010 Millard Fillmore $1 | 36,960,000 | 37,520,000 | 74,480,000 |
| 2010 Franklin Pierce $1 | 38,360,000 | 38,220,000 | 76,580,000 |
| 2010 James Buchanan $1 | 36,540,000 | 36,820,000 | 73,360,000 |
| 2010 Abraham Lincoln $1 | 48,020,000 | 49,000,000 | 97,020,000 |
| 2011 Andrew Johnson $1 | 37,100,000 | 35,560,000 | 72,660,000 |
| 2011 Ulysses S. Grant $1 | 37,940,000 | 38,080,000 | 76,020,000 |
| 2011 Rutherford B. Hayes $1 | 36,820,000 | 37,660,000 | 74,480,000 |
| 2011 James Garfield $1 | 37,100,000 | 37,100,000 | 74,200,000 |
| 2012 Arthur Presidential $1 | 4,060,000 | 6,020,000 | 10,080,000 |
| 2012 Cleveland (1st Term) Presidential $1 | 4,060,000 | 5,460,000 | 9,520,000 |
| 2012 Harrison Presidential $1 | 4,200,000 | 5,640,001 | 9,840,001 |
| 2012 Cleveland (2nd Term) Presidential $1 | 3,920,000 | 10,680,000 | 14,600,000 |
| 2013 William McKinley $1 | 3,365,100 | 4,760,000 | 8,125,100 |
| 2013 Theodore Roosevelt $1 | 3,920,000 | 5,310,700 | 9,230,700 |
| 2013 William Howard Taft $1 | 3,360,000 | 4,760,000 | 8,120,000 |
| 2013 Woodrow Wilson $1 | 3,360,000 | 4,620,000 | 7,980,000 |
| 2014 Warren G. Harding $1 | 3,780,000 | 6,160,000 | 9,940,000 |
| 2014 Calvin Coolidge $1 | 3,780,000 | 4,480,000 | 8,260,000 |
| 2014 Herbert Hoover $1 | 3,780,000 | 4,480,000 | 8,260,000 |
| 2014 Franklin D. Roosevelt $1 | 3,920,000 | 4,760,000 | 8,680,000 |
| 2015 Harry S. Truman $1 | 3,500,000 | 4,900,000 | 8,400,000 |
| 2015 Dwight D. Eisenhower $1 | 3,645,998 | 4,900,000 | 8,545,998 |
| 2015 John F. Kennedy $1 | 5,180,000 | 6,160,000 | 11,340,000 |
| 2015 Lyndon B. Johnson $1 | 4,200,000 | 7,840,000 | 12,040,000 |
| Richard M. Nixon $1 | 4,340,000 | 5,460,000 | 9,800,000 |
| Gerald R. Ford $1 | 5,040,000 | 5,460,000 | 10,500,000 |
| Ronald Reagan $1 | 5,880,000 | 7,140,000 | 13,020,000 |
| Total | 1,259,621,098 | 1,302,880,700 | 2,562,501,798 |
December is traditionally a weak coin production month as the U.S. Mint readies its tooling for the next year’s coins. Some Decembers have actually come in at or near flat for production amounts. Last month was fairly strong historically at 707.79 million coins, though down 1.6% from December 2015. Compared to November, the production level fell 28.6%.
Here’s how the month ranks against others in the past year:
2015 – 2016 December Coin Production Figures
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
| December 2016 | 696.68 M | 13 |
| November 2016 | 976.04 M | 10 |
| October 2016 | 1,297.36 M | 9 |
| September 2016 | 1,573.70 M | 3 |
| August 2016 | 1,302.95 M | 8 |
| July 2016 | 1,807.20 M | 1 |
| June 2016 | 1,582.06 M | 2 |
| May 2016 | 1,550.12 M | 4 |
| April 2016 | 1,339.06 M | 7 |
| March 2016 | 1,446.14 M | 6 |
| February 2016 | 930.26 M | 11 |
| January 2016 | 1,515.84 M | 5 |
| December 2015 | 707.79 M | 12 |
Production in December was limited to the four main denominations, the cent, nickel, dime and quarter. This last table shows their mintages:
US Mint Circulating Coin Production in December 2016
| Denomination | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
| Lincoln Cents | 132,000,000 | 208,800,000 | 340,800,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 21,600,000 | 32,880,000 | 54,480,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 66,500,000 | 74,500,000 | 141,000,000 |
| 2016 ATB Quarters | 79,600,000 | 80,800,000 | 160,400,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native American $1s | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Presidential Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 299,700,000 | 396,980,000 | 696,680,000 |
Very nice article, thanks for the hard work in putting it together!
BEWARE..EBAY has a fake 1844 silver dollar up for bid it has a CC mint mark and MOTTO on back which didnt come out till later years of mintage. bidding over at 3:30 PM so get your bids in..lol. so far 11 bids..@$44
Lots of fake coins (especially dollars) out there, not to mention some fake slabs. The Big Tree Coin Factory, out of China, is notorious for this, but there are others. The old adage, “Buy the book before the coin” really holds true. It is funny but aside from blunders like the wrong date/mint/type combinations sometimes you can just look at a coin and know it’s wrong. But that’s subtle and I wouldn’t trust not having a bad first impression as a reason to buy something.
Seth, what row and seat are you?
https://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/insidethemint/indexnew-coin-design-225th.html
Did the Eagle on the reverse have three different layers of frosting, or was it uniform?
Re: fake Chinese coins, there is a photograph out there on the Internet showing an ASE dated 1906.
China could shut down the country’s counterfeiting operations tomorrow, if their government really wanted to. But they don’t.
57% of all coins struck are CENTS? Add the fact that ~45% of banknotes are $1 bills, and it seems clear something’s out of kilter.
That’s a lot of pennies that are going into peoples’ floors, couches, and garbage cans.