For a second month in a row and for the third time this year, circulating coin production in the United States topped 1 billion coins in a month, U.S. Mint data for May shows.
Speaking to the rarity in recent years of reaching a billion coins in month, the milestone was hit only one time last year, and hadn’t been touched before then since early into the Great Recession.
As for the total, circulation production reached 1,084,360,000 coins last month. Though the mark is down 2.9% from April, it’s 32.3% higher than the same time last year. May’s figure clocks in as the third highest for the United States Mint through the last 12 months.
2012 – 2013 May Coin Production Figures / Mintages
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
| May 2013 | 1,084.36 M | 3 |
| April 2013 | 1,117.23 M | 2 |
| March 2013 | 932.56 M | 7 |
| February 2013 | 939.98 M | 6 |
| January 2013 | 1,223.68 M | 1 |
| December 2012 | 245.34 M | 13 |
| November 2012 | 765.76 M | 11 |
| October 2012 | 1,040.12 M | 4 |
| September 2012 | 905.34 M | 9 |
| August 2012 | 655.55 M | 12 |
| July 2012 | 906.62 M | 8 |
| June 2012 | 975.59 M | 5 |
| May 2012 | 819.86 M | 10 |
America’s smallest denominated coin is always the most ordered by the Federal Reserve. Highlighting that, the latest count of 695.6 million pennies in May represents 64.1% of all circulating-quality coins minted for the month.
Polar opposite, Native American $1 Coins have not been struck since January. And joining them in silence last month were Kennedy half-dollars and Presidential $1 Coins. Rounding out the other denominations, the Mint’s production pace fell from the prior month for:
- Jefferson nickels by 16.2% and
- Roosevelt dimes by 1.3%
Coins that logged increases from the previous month were:
- Lincoln cents by 0.6% and
- America the Beautiful Quarters 0.4%
Here is breakdown of last month’s coin production figures by denomination:
US Circulating Coin Production in May 2013
| Denomination | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
| Lincoln Cents | 324,400,000 | 371,200,000 | 695,600,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 55,680,000 | 50,880,000 | 106,560,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 94,000,000 | 93,000,000 | 187,000,000 |
| 2013 ATB Quarters | 51,600,000 | 43,600,000 | 95,200,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native American $1s | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Presidential Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 525,680,000 | 558,680,000 | 1,084,360,000 |
Year-To-Date 2013 Coin Production Total
Tasked with the job of striking all circulating coins for commerce are the U.S. Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia. In the January through May period, the Denver Mint produced 2,599,520,000 coins and the Philadelphia Mint struck 2,689,610,000 coins. Both plants have a combined year-to-date total of 5,289,130,000 coins. Here is a production breakdown by U.S. Mint facility:
2013 Circulating Coin Production from January 2013 through May 2013
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Pres $1 | Total: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 1515.2 M | 292.56 M | 447.5 M | 330 M | 1.8 M | 1.82 M | 10.64 M | 2599.52 M |
| Philadelphia | 1655.6 M | 255.84 M | 500.5 M | 254.6 M | 1.8 M | 1.82 M | 19.45 M | 2689.61 M |
| Total | 3170.8 M | 548.4 M | 948.00 M | 584.6 M | 3.6 M | 3.64 M | 30.09 M | 5289.13 M |
May figures did not fill any gaps for mintages by coin design, unlike the previous coin production report for April which offered mintages for:
- The already released Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial Quarters
- The upcoming William Howard Taft Presidential $1 Coins
- Kennedy half-dollars
Get ready for the 50-cent pieces. Bags and rolls of 2013 Kennedy halves go on sale Thursday, June 20. Taft dollars arrive on July 9.
The following grid offers 2013 mintage figures by coin design.
2013 Circulating Coin Production / Mintages by Coin Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | 2013 Total | |
| Lincoln Cents | 1,515,200,000 | 1,655,600,000 | 3,170,800,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 292,560,000 | 255,840,000 | 548,400,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 447,500,000 | 500,500,000 | 948,000,000 |
| White Mountain Quarter | 107,600,000 | 68,800,000 | 176,400,000 |
| Perry’s Victory Quarter | 131,600,000 | 107,800,000 | 239,400,000 |
| Great Basin Quarter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fort McHenry Quarter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mount Rushmore Quarter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 1,800,000 | 1,800,000 | 3,600,000 |
| Native American $1 | 1,820,000 | 1,820,000 | 3,640,000 |
| William McKinley $1 | 3,360,000 | 4,760,000 | 8,120,000 |
| Theodore Roosevelt $1 | 3,920,000 | 5,310,700 | 9,230,700 |
| William Howard Taft $1 | 3,360,000 | 4,760,000 | 8,120,000 |
| Woodrow Wilson $1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2,508,720,000 | 2,606,990,700 | 5,115,710,700 |
In subtracting the above totals by coin design from the figures by denomination, two differences are found.
-
America the Beautiful Quarters are higher by 168,800,000. All of them are likely Great Basin National Park quarters with more getting made. This third America the Beautiful quarter for 2013 launched last week on June 10.
- Presidential $1 Coins remained higher by 4,619,300. The amount likely represents a portion of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential $1 Coins. Wilson $1s do not debut in U.S. Mint rolls, bags and boxes until October.
All coin production figures above are based on data aggregated from the U.S. Mint webpage at: http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=coin_production.
Waiting for the episode(s) of Horders with stacks of coins pilled half way to the celing and jars of coins blocking the doorways…