U.S. coin production quickened in June for a second month in a row as United States Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver struck over 1.2 billion coins for circulation, the most since March.
In the first half of 2017, the U.S. Mint manufactured nearly 7.6 billion coins. That’s a sizable tally, but it’s tracking for a second slower year after production peaked in 2015 with the most coins since 2011. Totals in each month this year are lower than their companion months of a year ago.
Here’s how June stacks up against other months in just the past year:
2016 – 2017 June Coin Production Figures
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
| June 2017 | 1,252.88 M | 8 |
| May 2017 | 1,156.34 M | 9 |
| April 2017 | 959.54 M | 12 |
| March 2017 | 1,445.8 M | 5 |
| February 2017 | 983.40 M | 10 |
| January 2017 | 1,790.30 M | 2 |
| December 2016 | 696.68 M | 13 |
| November 2016 | 976.04 M | 11 |
| October 2016 | 1,297.36 M | 7 |
| September 2016 | 1,573.70 M | 4 |
| August 2016 | 1,302.95 M | 6 |
| July 2016 | 1,807.20 M | 1 |
| June 2016 | 1,582.06 M | 3 |
The Federal Reserve orders more 1-cent coins from the U.S. Mint than any other denominations even as it costs 1.5 cents to make and distribute each one. The agency produced 732.8 million Lincoln cents in June, for 58.5% of the circulating-quality coins produced for the month.
P-Mint Cents Change
2017-dated circulating cents from the U.S. Mint facility at Philadelphia include a ‘P’ mint mark for the first time in history. This is a one-year-only embellishment, added as a part of the Mint’s 225th anniversary celebration. These P-cents are far from rare, however, with a combined 2.1964 billion already made through the first half of this year.
Month-Over-Month
In the latest month-over month comparisons for coins used daily by Americans, June saw:
- 16% more Lincoln cents,
- 18.9% more Jefferson nickels,
- 17.9% fewer Roosevelt dimes, and
- 16% more America the Beautiful Quarters.
Native American $1 Coins and Kennedy half-dollars are no longer ordered by Federal Reserve Banks but they are still made in circulating quality for coin collectors. In January, the U.S. Mint tends to strike both coins to expected amounts needed for the entire year. In April, however, the Mint produced 140,000 more 2017-P Native American dollars.
Production facilities in Denver and Philadelphia manufacture all of America’s coins for commerce. In June, the Denver Mint made 625.84 million coins and the Philadelphia Mint made 627.04 million coins.
Here’s a summary of all circulating-quality coins produced during the month:
US Mint Circulating Coin Production in June 2017
| Denomination | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
| Lincoln Cents | 356,000,000 | 376,800,000 | 732,800,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 63,840,000 | 73,440,000 | 137,280,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 122,000,000 | 101,000,000 | 223,000,000 |
| ATB Quarters | 84,000,000 | 75,800,000 | 159,800,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native American $1s | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 625,840,000 | 627,040,000 | 1,252,880,000 |
Coin Production in First Half of 2017
Year-to-date figures at 3,684,020,000 coins from Denver and 3,904,240,000 coins from Philadelphia total 7,588,260,000 coins, marking a 9.3% drop from the 8,363,480,000 coins minted through the first half of 2016.
This next table lists 2017 coin production totals by denomination and by U.S. Mint facility:
YTD 2017 Circulating Coin Production by Denomination
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Total: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 2053.2M | 364.08M | 736M | 527.4M | 1.8M | 1.54M | 3684.02M |
| Philadelphia | 2196.4M | 365.52M | 759.5M | 579.2M | 1.8M | 1.82M | 3904.24M |
| Total | 4249.6M | 729.6M | 1495.5M | 1106.6M | 3.6M | 3.36M | 7588.26M |
This year’s monthly average of roughly 1.26 billion coins tracks over 12 months to about 15.18 billion coins. The U.S. Mint in 2016 struck over 16 billion coins for circulation after making more than 17 billion coins in 2015, the most since 2001.
Mintages by Coin Design
So far, the U.S. Mint released four 2017 coins bearing one-year-only designs. They include the:
- 2017 Native American $1 Coin, released on Jan. 25.
- 2017 Effigy Mounds Quarter for Iowa, released on Feb. 6.
- 2017 Frederick Douglass Quarter for D.C., released on April 3.
- 2017 Ozark Riverways Quarter for Missouri, released on June 5.
Mintages for the Native American dollar at 1.54 million from Denver and 1.82 million from Philadelphia combine to 3.36 million coins. Last year’s design ended with splits of 2.1 million from Denver and 2.8 million from Philadelphia for 4.90 million coins.
The following table offers a breakdown of this year’s mintages by coin design:
2017 Circulating Coin Production by Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| Lincoln Cents | 2,053,200,000 | 2,196,400,000 | 4,249,600,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 364,080,000 | 365,520,000 | 729,600,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 736,000,000 | 759,500,000 | 1,495,500,000 |
| Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter | 210,800,000 | 271,200,000 | 482,000,000 |
| Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Quarter | 185,800,000 | 184,800,000 | 370,600,000 |
| Ozark National Scenic Riverways Quarter | – | – | – |
| Ellis Island National Monument Quarter | – | – | – |
| George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Quarter | – | – | – |
| Kennedy Half-Dollars | 1,800,000 | 1,800,000 | 3,600,000 |
| Native American $1 Coins | 1,540,000 | 1,820,000 | 3,360,000 |
| Total | 3,553,220,000 | 3,781,040,000 | 7,334,260,000 |
Production figures include 254 million quarters that haven’t been officially assigned to a design yet. These are a portion of the recently released Ozar Riverways quarters. Their finalized mintages should be available by August.
Still don’t understand why the Native American $1 isn’t split evenly between Denver and Philadelphia or what attraction a Philadelphia mintage has over a Denver mintage.
jim – My thinking *scary thought, was location of the 2 mints. Denver can distribute $, West, South Central, North, Philadelphia, up & down the East cost. I live right on the east coast, a few miles from down town Boston. I pretty much always look , I like to see Denver, in my change. I pretty much look at my $Bills to see what Fed. Reserves there from. Mintage of P & D coins seem to always go back and forth. I don’t know why.
The Kennedy half dollars have not been put into circulation since 2001 & the Native American $1 coins have not been put into circulation since 2011. They are only made now for collector sales in circulating quality, & for Proof sets & Mint sets.
Seth –
Right, everything comes from the mint Internet order form these days so unless people can go to P or D and buy directly I’m not seeing why more P’s are sold than D’s. But if they can buy directly from the P mint and P is more than twice as populous as D I can understand how that might happen. Ya think that’s the reason?
Dawn On Marblehead sail of P & D Native American $ I don’t see a Big difference. What are the P & D total #’s every year. I see y I never receive any past 2011 in change from the MBTA. They look like crap, they don,t hold up at all. The zinc & mag wear down, there is a small amount nickal, majority copper. Cent, Nickal, Dime, 1/4 from 1965 look better. I guess if you glove them & put the whole collection in a book they maybe all right. Not my cup.
Joe Brown – the “golden” (?!) dollars circulate a bit where I live, too, again due to use on the local transit system. But for whatever reason there doesn’t seem to be very much deterioration; mostly they turn a kind of ugly brown, probably as you say due to the use of Mg and Zn. I don’t know whether the Mint could have used a different alloy and still met the electronic-signature requirements. E.g. euro coins use an alloy called “nordic gold” which seems to keep its color better over time. The higher nickel (sp) content of the 5¢ through… Read more »
Munzen – once in a blue moon, I still come across in my change, bottom of wifes pocket book, kids change containers before they dump them in machine at supper market. Rip off. A WW*2 silver 5 cent peace. Your right nickel is 1 tuff metal our great country needed, that metal help among with the prod brave men & woman. Thanks Dad. I,m glad you pointed out the euro, I have cigar box full of them from being places around Gods world they all just about shine. Thanks I learned some thing new. WOW, TO VICTORY*