U.S. coining presses slowed significantly in November compared to the previous month and a year ago, according to the latest manufacturing figures from the United States Mint.
In the headline monthly figure, the U.S. Mint produced 898.38 million coins for circulation, marking declines of 22.2% from October and 12.9% from November 2018.
Here’s how the month stacks up against others in the past year:
November 2018 to November 2019 Circulating Coin Production
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
| November 2019 | 898.38 M | 10 |
| October 2019 | 1,154.94 M | 5 |
| September 2019 | 939.66 M | 9 |
| August 2019 | 767.32 M | 11 |
| July 2019 | 1,202.10 M | 4 |
| June 2019 | 1,021.654 M | 8 |
| May 2019 | 485.24 M | 13 |
| April 2019 | 1,253.76 M | 3 |
| March 2019 | 1,054.90 M | 6 |
| February 2019 | 1,256.10 M | 2 |
| January 2019 | 1,507.30 M | 1 |
| December 2018 | 560.64 M | 12 |
| November 2018 | 1,031.24 M | 7 |
The Federal Reserve always orders more 1-cent coins than any other denomination even as data shows it costs the U.S. Mint 2.06 cents to make and distribute each one. The bureau produced 568.4 million Lincoln cents last month, representing 63.3% of the circulating-quality coins produced in November.
Month-Over-Month
In month-over month comparisons for coins used daily by Americans, production figures in November saw:
- 20.3 fewer Lincoln cents,
- 29% fewer Jefferson nickels,
- 45.9% fewer Roosevelt dimes, and
- 0.5% more America the Beautiful quarter dollars.
Native American $1 Coins and Kennedy half-dollars are no longer ordered by Federal Reserve Banks but they are still made in circulating finish for coin collectors. In January, the U.S. Mint tends to strike both coins to the expected amounts needed for the entire year.
That said, the bureau’s data for February did show an increase of 140,000 in 2019-D Native American dollars. Reported mintages for the space-themed piece are at 1.54 million for Denver and 1.4 million for Philadelphia for a combined 2.94 million coins — up from last year’s dollar mintages by the added 140,000.
Mintages for the 2019 Kennedy half-dollar remained the same for a tenth straight month, totaling 3.4 million coins with equal splits between the Denver and Philadelphia Mints. Last year’s half-dollar was the most produced since the one from 2001. It saw 6.1 million from Denver and 4.8 million from Philadelphia for a combined 10.9 million coins.
Here’s a summary of all circulating-quality coins produced last month:
US Mint Circulating Coin Production in November 2019
| Denomination | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
| Lincoln Cents | 281,600,000 | 286,800,000 | 568,400,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 26,400,000 | 37,680,000 | 64,080,000 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 45,000,000 | 56,500,000 | 101,500,000 |
| ATB Quarters | 79,200,000 | 85,200,000 | 164,400,000 |
| Kennedy Half Dollars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native American $1s | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 432,200,000 | 466,180,000 | 898,380,000 |
U.S. Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia manufacture all of America’s coins for commerce. In November, the Philadelphia Mint produced 466.18 million coins and the Denver Mint produced 432.2 million coins.
YTD Totals
In year to date production figures, the Philadelphia Mint struck 5,932,354,400 coins and the Denver Mint struck 5,609,000,000 coins for a combined 11,541,354,400 coins — 8.2% fewer than the 12,564,774,000 coins minted through the first eleven months of 2018.
This next table lists 2019 coin production totals by denomination and by U.S. Mint facility:
YTD 2019 Circulating Coin Production by Denomination
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Total: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 3352M | 497.56M | 965M | 791.2M | 1.7M | 1.54M | 5609M |
| Philadelphia | 3486.4M | 559.4544M | 1130M | 753.4M | 1.7M | 1.4M | 5932.3544M |
| Total | 6838.4M | 1057.0144M | 2095M | 1544.6M | 3.4M | 2.94M | 11541.3544M |
The 2019 monthly average of about 1.05 billion coins tracks over 12 months to roughly 12.6 billion coins. The U.S. Mint made over 13.1 billion coins for circulation in 2018.
Mintages by Unique Design
The U.S. Mint released production figures for six annually issued coins with one-year-only designs. They include:
- the 2019 Lowell National Historical quarter for Massachusetts, released on Feb. 4;
- the 2019 Native American $1 Coin, released on Feb. 13;
- the 2019 American Memorial Park quarter for Northern Mariana Islands, released on April 1;
- the 2019 War in Pacific quarter for Guam, released June 3; and
- the 2019 San Antonio Missions quarter for Texas, released Aug. 26; and
- the 2019 Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarter for Idaho, released Nov. 4.
The following table offers a breakdown of this year’s mintages by coin design:
2019 Circulating Coin Production by Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
| Lincoln Cents | 3,352,000,000 | 3,486,400,000 | 6,838,400,000 |
| Jefferson Nickels | 497,560,000 | 559,454,400 | 1,057,014,400 |
| Roosevelt Dimes | 965,000,000 | 1,130,000,000 | 2,095,000,000 |
| Lowell National Historical Park Quarter (MA) | 182,200,000 | 165,800,000 | 348,000,000 |
| American Memorial Park Quarter (MP) | 182,600,000 | 142,800,000 | 325,400,000 |
| War in the Pacific National Historical Park Quarter (GU) | 114,400,000 | 116,600,000 | 231,000,000 |
| San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Quarter (TX) | 129,400,000 | 142,800,000 | 272,200,000 |
| Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Quarter (ID) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollars | 1,700,000 | 1,700,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Native American $1 Coins | 1,540,000 | 1,400,000 | 2,940,000 |
| Total | 5,426,400,000 | 5,746,954,400 | 11,173,354,400 |
There are 368 million in quarters that the U.S. Mint has yet to officially assign to a design. These are likely Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarters.
