U.S. money production advanced in February to a four-month high, figures from the agency responsible for printing currency shows.
521.6 million in $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s, $50s and $100s were produced last month for a combined value of just over $14 billion, according to data released on Mar. 8 by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). These figures compare to January totals of 518.4 million notes worth nearly $12 billion.
In percentage comparisons from January to February, the BEP made 0.6% more banknotes for a combined value that is 16.8% higher. In other monthly differences, there were:
- 11.1% more $5s;
- 15.8% fewer $20s;
- 15.4% fewer $50s; and
- 44.4% more $100s.
The number of $1s was the same for a third month in a row. Snapping a longer streak, the lack of $2s was a first since August. Lastly, the BEP made $10s in February after presses for them were silent in January.
Compared to February 2015, the number of notes last month rose by 2.9% from 506,880,000 while their combined value surged 68.2% from $8,326,400,000.
Below are images of the BEP’s latest monthly production report. They show the type of banknotes manufactured at the agency’s two printing facilities.
February 2016 BEP Banknote Production
Facility at Washington, DC
Facility at Fort Worth, TX
The following table lists the type, the amount and the total value of banknotes printed by the BEP for the month:
Banknotes by Denomination: Total Printed and Values
February 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 147,200,000 | 147,200,000 |
| $2.00 | – | – |
| $5.00 | 64,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 38,400,000 | 384,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 153,600,000 | 3,072,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 35,200,000 | 1,760,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 83,200,000 | 8,320,000,000 |
| Totals | 521,600,000 | 14,003,200,000 |
For comparison, four previous monthly money production tables follow.
January 2016
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 147,200,000 | 147,200,000 |
| $2.00 | 32,000,000 | 64,000,000 |
| $5.00 | 57,600,000 | 288,000,000 |
| $10.00 | – | – |
| $20.00 | 182,400,000 | 3,648,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 41,600,000 | 2,080,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 57,600,000 | 5,760,000,000 |
| Totals | 518,400,000 | 11,987,200,000 |
December 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 147,200,000 | 147,200,000 |
| $2.00 | 7,600,000 | 15,200,000 |
| $5.00 | 44,800,000 | 224,000,000 |
| $10.00 | – | – |
| $20.00 | 166,400,000 | 3,328,000,000 |
| $50.00 | 28,800,000 | 1,440,000,000 |
| $100.00 | 67,200,000 | 6,720,000,000 |
| Totals | 462,000,000 | 11,874,400,000 |
November 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 160,000,000 | 160,000,000 |
| $2.00 | 128,000 | 256,000 |
| $5.00 | 60,800,000 | 304,000,000 |
| $10.00 | 32,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 198,400,000 | 3,968,000,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 76,800,000 | 7,680,000,000 |
| Totals | 528,128,000 | 12,432,256,000 |
October 2015
| Banknotes | Total Printed | Total Value ($) |
| $1.00 | 195,200,000 | 195,200,000 |
| $2.00 | 19,200,000 | 38,400,000 |
| $5.00 | 70,720,000 | 353,600,000 |
| $10.00 | 96,000,000 | 960,000,000 |
| $20.00 | 195,520,000 | 3,910,400,000 |
| $50.00 | – | – |
| $100.00 | 208,000,000 | 20,800,000,000 |
| Totals | 784,640,000 | 26,257,600,000 |
As a perspective, the BEP in FY 2015 delivered about 7 billion notes at an average cost of 10 cents each, and needed about 8.7 tons of ink each day to print them. More than 90% of those printed are for replacing notes already in, or taken out of circulation.
As an aside and according to data from the Federal Reserve, there was approximately $1.4 trillion in circulation as of Feb. 18, 2016, of which $1.38 trillion was in Federal Reserve notes.
The BEP operates on a fiscal year that begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. For FY 2016, the Fed ordered 7.6 billion banknotes.
