Fewer banknotes were printed in May than a month and year earlier, data from the agency responsible for making U.S. currency shows, but their combined value was the highest in more than 1-1/2 years.
Just over 538 million in $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s and $100s was printed in May for a total of more than $19.9 billion — the highest amount since September 2013, according to a Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) production report published on Thursday, July 2. These levels compare to the prior-month totals of 595.3 million notes worth over $15.5 billion.
In month-over-month percentage comparisons, May saw 9.6% fewer notes but their combined value surged 28.2%. In other monthly differences, there was:
- 36.2% fewer $1s;
- 10% fewer $5s;
- 11.1% fewer $10s;
- 15.9% fewer $20s; and
- 47% more $100s.
The BEP has not printed $50s for five straight months and presses for $2s have been silent for four months. In January, $2s were produced for the first time since June 2014.
Compared to a year earlier, the number of notes fell 12.9% from 617.9 million while their combined value surged 55.7% from $12,814,400,000.
Below are images of the BEP’s latest monthly production report. They show the type of banknotes manufactured in May at each of the agency’s printing facility:
May 2015 BEP Banknote Production
Facility at Washington, DC
Facility at Fort Worth, TX
In May, the BEP produced a combined 13.248 million in star notes. These are indicated by the "*" designator in the money production chart directly above. Star notes are replacements for misprinted notes or certain serial numbers, like 000 000 000. Money collectors find them more desirable since they are rarer and more difficult to find.
The following table lists the type, the amount and the total value of banknotes printed by the BEP for the month:
Banknotes by Denomination: Total Printed and Values
May 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $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 |
As a perspective, the BEP in FY 2014 printed about 24.8 million banknotes a day with a face value of about $560 million. That pace accounts for about 8.9 tons of ink each day. The agency delivered approximately 6.2 billion notes at an average cost of 10 cents per banknote. The BEP indicates that more than 90% of paper notes printed each year are used to replace those already in, or taken out of circulation.
For comparison, four previous monthly money production tables follow.
April 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 185,600,000 | 185,600,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 64,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 57,600,000 | 576,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 179,200,000 | 3,584,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 108,928,000 | 10,892,800,000 |
| Totals | 595,328,000 | 15,558,400,000 |
March 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 198,400,000 | 198,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 57,600,000 | 288,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 57,600,000 | 576,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 172,800,000 | 3,456,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 43,520,000 | 4,352,000,000 |
| Totals | 529,920,000 | 8,870,400,000 |
February 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 198,400,000 | 198,400,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 51,200,000 | 256,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 44,800,000 | 448,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 172,800,000 | 3,456,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 39,680,000 | 3,968,000,000 |
| Totals | 506,880,000 | 8,326,400,000 |
January 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 166,480,000 | 166,480,000 |
| $2.00 | 25,600,000 | 51,200,000 |
| $5.00 | 51,200,000 | 256,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 39,040,000 | 390,400,000 |
| $20.00 | 140,800,000 | 2,816,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 25,984,000 | 2,598,400,000 |
| Totals | 449,104,000 | 6,278,480,000 |
25.6 million $2 bills printed. Are you kidding us, not a single one will be seen, never mind being spent ……ever. Yes, some for collectors, but seriously folks. Stop the insanity, get to minting coins of these denominations and stop printing the paper versions.
Stewart is right, they should send all those 2.00 bills to me and not print any more. Can’t get enough Jeffersons.
Ditto, Stewart. Fifty other countries have eliminated their low-denomination notes in favor of coins, but the US is still in the combined grip of Crane Paper’s lobbying, Congressional ineptitude, and screeching from the “don’t ever change anything” crowd.