In 2024, U.S. Mint data showed a fourth straight year of declining coin production, with annual output reaching its lowest level since the post-Great Recession recovery.
Mint facilities delivered just over 5.613 billion coins to Federal Reserve Banks for circulation, marking a 50.7% decrease from the 11.381 billion coins struck in 2023. This was the lowest annual total since 2009, when 3.548 billion coins were minted for circulation during a year heavily impacted by the Great Recession, which ended mid-year.
US Mint Annual Coin Production (2024 vs 2023)
| Year 2023 | Year 2024 | 2024 Unit Gain / Loss | 2024 % Gain / Loss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cents | 4,522,800,000 | 3,225,200,000 | -1,297,600,000 | -28.7% |
| Nickels | 1,427,530,000 | 112,800,000 | -1,314,730,000 | -92.1% |
| Dimes | 2,705,500,000 | 555,000,000 | -2,150,500,000 | -79.5% |
| Quarters | 2,665,600,000 | 1,680,800,000 | -984,800,000 | -36.9% |
| Half Dollars | 58,000,000 | 37,600,000 | -20,400,000 | -35.2% |
| Native American $1 | 2,240,000 | 2,240,000 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Total | 11,381,670,000 | 5,613,640,000 | -5,768,030,000 | -50.7% |
The U.S. Mint’s primary mission is to manufacture coins in response to public demand. It produces, sells, and delivers circulating coins to Federal Reserve Banks and their coin terminals, enabling these entities to meet the needs of commercial banks and other financial institutions.
YTD 2024 Circulating Coin Production by Denomination
| 1 ¢ | 5 ¢ | 10 ¢ | 25 ¢ | 50 ¢ | N.A. $1 | Total: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 1,513.2M | 32.88M | 248M | 858.8M | 21.9M | 1.12M | 2,675.9M |
| Philadelphia | 1,712M | 79.92M | 307M | 822M | 15.7M | 1.12M | 2,937.74M |
| Total | 3,225.2M | 112.8M | 555M | 1,680.8M | 37.6M | 2.24M | 5,613.64M |
Minting facilities in Philadelphia and Denver are responsible for manufacturing all U.S. coins for commerce. In 2024, the Philadelphia Mint produced 2,937,740,000 coins, while the Denver Mint made 2,675,900,000 coins.
Mintages of Cents, Nickels, and Dimes Lowest Since 2009
Despite costing the Mint 3.07 cents to produce and distribute each 1-cent coin, the Federal Reserve consistently orders more pennies than any other denomination.
Last year, the Mint struck over 3.2 billion cents, the lowest annual total since more than 2.3 billion Lincoln Bicentennial cents were produced in 2009. These cents accounted for 57.5% of the total coin production for 2024.
In contrast, 2023 saw over 4.5 billion cents minted – the lowest annual total since 4 billion were struck in 2010 – making up 39.7% of the year’s total coin production. In 2022, more than 6.3 billion cents were struck, representing 46.7% of the combined production total. A year earlier, in 2021, the Mint produced over 7.9 billion cents, accounting for 54.6% of all circulating coins. Among recent years, 2024 and 2021 are the most representative of the historical ratio of cents to overall production.
In 2024, the Mint experienced a stretch of four consecutive months without producing any nickels and another three months without minting dimes. Similar to the cent, both denominations recorded their lowest annual mintages since 2009.
Mintages of Native American Dollars and Kennedy Halves
The U.S. Mint also produces other circulating-quality coins, including half dollars and dollars. While Native American $1 coins are no longer ordered by the Federal Reserve, they continue to be struck in circulating quality for collectors. This was also true for Kennedy half dollars until recent years – 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Typically, the Mint produces both denominations in January to meet the expected demand for the entire year. However, this pattern was disrupted for Kennedy half dollars over the past years, as the Federal Reserve unexpectedly ordered additional coins for circulation – approximately 12 million in 2021, 7 million in 2022, and 18 million in 2023.
In 2024, Kennedy half dollars were once again minted for general circulation. Production figures increased incrementally across several months: January (+5.7 million), March (+1.9 million), April (+2.6 million), May (+3.2 million), June (+4.9 million), July (+3.2 million), October (+5.6 million), November (+7.3 million), and December (+3.2 million). The latest totals show 15.7 million coins from Philadelphia and 21.9 million from Denver, combining for 37.6 million. This is notably lower than the 2023 production run, which reached 27.8 million from Denver and 30.2 million from Philadelphia, totaling 58 million – the highest since 1983’s mintage of 66.6 million.
Meanwhile, the Native American dollar’s production schedule deviated from the norm. Instead of being completed in January, mintages were adjusted in February due to no reported production activity in Denver during January. Since February, the total mintage has remained at 2.24 million coins, evenly split with 1.12 million from both Denver and Philadelphia, matching the 2023 total.
2024 Quarter Mintages
In addition to the 2024 Native American dollar with its one-year-only design, the U.S. also released the five coins for 2024 from its four-year program of American Women Quarters™. These third-year issues represent the 11th through 15th coins in the series, each showcasing a distinct design.
The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray quarter, the first quarter design for the 2024, began circulating on Jan. 2. On Feb. 1, the Mint made rolls and bags of them available for purchase by the public. First reported in March figures and unchanged since, a total of 354.2 million Murray quarters were minted, with 185.8 million coming from Denver and 168.4 million from Philadelphia.
Patsy Takemoto Mink quarters entered circulation on March 25, and on March 28, the U.S. Mint began selling rolls and bags of them to the public. The latest figures show Patsy Takemoto Mink quarter mintages at 187.2 million from Denver and 210.2 million from Philadelphia, for a combined 397.4 million.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker quarters entered circulation on June 3, and on June 17, the U.S. Mint started selling rolls and bags of them to the public. The latest figures show Dr. Mary Edwards quarter mintages at 159.4 million from Denver and 141.2 million from Philadelphia, for a combined 300.6 million. This marks the lowest mintage total for any quarter in the series to date.
Celia Cruz quarters entered circulation on Aug. 5, with U.S. Mint rolls and bags of them offered to the public on Aug. 7. According to the latest data, Celia Cruz quarter mintages stand at 156.2 million from the Denver Mint and 149.6 million from the Philadelphia Mint, for a combined total of 305.8 million. This marks the second-lowest mintage for any quarter in the series.
Zitkala-Ša quarters entered circulation on Oct. 21, followed by the U.S. Mint’s release of rolls and bags to the public on Oct. 28. Production data indicates 170.2 million quarters were struck at the Denver Mint and 152.6 million at the Philadelphia Mint, combining for a total of 322.8 million. This marks the third-lowest mintage for any quarter in the series.
Combined quarter production for 2024 totaled 1.68 billion, the lowest annual figure since 1.65 billion were minted in 2019.
Lowest Quarters Mintages in Series
Notably, the 2024-D Zitkala-Ša quarter, with a mintage of 152.6 million, is the scarcest in the series from the Denver Mint. Meanwhile, the 2024-P Dr. Mary Edwards Walker quarter holds the distinction of being the scarcest from the Philadelphia Mint, with a mintage of 141.2 million.
This next table shows all American Women quarter dollar mintages by production facility, denomination, and design.
2022-2024 America Women Quarter Mintages
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Quarter | 185,800,000 | 168,400,000 | 354,200,000 |
| 2024 Patsy Takemoto Mink Quarter | 187,200,000 | 210,200,000 | 397,400,000 |
| 2024 Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Quarter | 159,400,000 | 141,200,000 | 300,600,000 |
| 2024 Celia Cruz Quarter | 156,200,000 | 149,600,000 | 305,800,000 |
| 2024 Zitkala-Ša Quarter | 170,200,000 | 152,600,000 | 322,800,000 |
| 2023 Bessie Coleman Quarter | 317,200,000 | 302,000,000 | 619,200,000 |
| 2023 Edith Kanaka’Ole Quarter | 368,600,000 | 372,800,000 | 741,400,000 |
| 2023 Eleanor Roosevelt Quarter | 271,800,000 | 284,000,000 | 555,800,000 |
| 2023 Jovita Idar Quarter | 188,000,000 | 190,600,000 | 378,600,000 |
| 2023 Maria Tallchief Quarter | 184,800,000 | 185,800,000 | 370,600,000 |
| 2022 Maya Angelou Quarter | 258,200,000 | 237,600,000 | 495,800,000 |
| 2022 Dr. Sally Ride Quarter | 278,000,000 | 275,200,000 | 553,200,000 |
| 2022 Wilma Mankiller Quarter | 296,800,000 | 310,000,000 | 606,800,000 |
| 2022 Nina Otero-Warren Quarter | 219,200,000 | 225,000,000 | 444,200,000 |
| 2022 Anna May Wong Quarter | 240,800,000 | 226,800,000 | 467,600,000 |
| Total | 3,482,200,000 | 3,431,800,000 | 6,914,000,000 |
This next table offers a breakdown of this year’s mintages that have been reported by coin design, including the five quarters:
2024 Circulating Coin Production by Design
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Cent | 1,513,200,000 | 1,712,000,000 | 3,225,200,000 |
| Jefferson Nickel | 32,880,000 | 79,920,000 | 112,800,000 |
| Roosevelt Dime | 248,000,000 | 307,000,000 | 555,000,000 |
| Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Quarter | 185,800,000 | 168,400,000 | 354,200,000 |
| Patsy Takemoto Mink Quarter | 187,200,000 | 210,200,000 | 397,400,000 |
| Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Quarter | 159,400,000 | 141,200,000 | 300,600,000 |
| Celia Cruz Quarter | 156,200,000 | 149,600,000 | 305,800,000 |
| Zitkala-Ša Quarter | 170,200,000 | 152,600,000 | 322,800,000 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollar | 21,900,000 | 15,700,000 | 37,600,000 |
| Native American $1 Coin | 1,120,000 | 1,120,000 | 2,240,000 |
| Total | 2,675,900,000 | 2,937,740,000 | 5,613,640,000 |
Coin Production in December 2024
In December, total production remained below 1 billion coins for the 16th straight month, following an earlier run of eight months exceeding that mark.
December is often a slower month for coin production as the U.S. Mint prepares tooling for the upcoming year’s coins. This trend was especially evident in December 2023, with a modest output of 151.8 million coins. In contrast, December 2024 saw a higher production figure of 391.7 million coins. However, the three Decembers prior to 2023 significantly exceeded these numbers, with totals of 846.5 million coins in 2022, 953.37 million in 2021, and 903.5 million in 2020.
More typical December production levels were observed between 2011 and 2019, with annual outputs ranging from a low of 245.34 million coins in 2012 to a peak of 878.84 million in 2014. Other years in this period included 431.78 million in 2011, 285.96 million in 2013, 707.79 million in 2015, 696.68 million in 2016, 762.86 million in 2017, 560.64 million in 2018, and 400.88 million in 2019. These figures illustrate the more predictable seasonal slowdown typical of December.
Here’s how the month compares to others in the past year:
December 2023 to December 2024 Circulating Coin Production
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 391.70 M | 8 |
| November 2024 | 602.90 M | 4 |
| October 2024 | 826.60 M | 1 |
| September 2024 | 486.00 M | 5 |
| August 2024 | 405.20 M | 6 |
| July 2024 | 235.20 M | 11 |
| June 2024 | 168.22 M | 12 |
| May 2024 | 396.08 M | 7 |
| April 2024 | 368.20 M | 10 |
| March 2024 | 332.70 M | 9 |
| February 2024 | 644.86 M | 3 |
| January 2024 | 755.98 M | 2 |
| December 2023 | 151.80 M | 13 |
This final table summarizes all circulating-quality coins produced in the past month:
U.S. Mint Circulating Coin Production in December 2024
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Cent | 57,600,000 | 210,000,000 | 267,600,000 |
| Jefferson Nickel | 0 | 21,600,000 | 21,600,000 |
| Roosevelt Dime | 29,000,000 | 52,500,000 | 81,500,000 |
| Quarters | 17,800,000 | 0 | 17,800,000 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollar | 3,200,000 | 0 | 3,200,000 |
| Native American $1 Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 107,600,000 | 284,100,000 | 391,700,000 |
The design of that HOPE reverse is enough to stop anyone from collecting USM modern pieces
It looks to me like the Mint did some creative schedule adjustments to try and help the numbers for the FY24 Numismatic Annual Core Sets. By having the release date for the 2023 Uncirculated Set after FY23 ended, and the 2024 Uncirculated Set before FY25 started, FY24 benefitted by having the large initial sales for two Uncirculated sets. In addition, it benefitted by having the November 2023 Vault Sale and the September 2024 Customer Appreciation Event (which included the 2019 and 2021 Silver proof Sets at 30%-off discount). Lastly, in FY24 it appears the Ltd Ed Silver Set was moved… Read more »
Also, from the 2024 Annual Report: it cost the Mint 3.69 cents to produce and distribute every 1c coin; and 13.78 cents for every 5c. (up from 3.07 cents and 11.54 cents in 2023).
Uh oh…
Talk about gettin’ tied to the Whippin’ Post…
Thanks.
All-in-all, the Mint managed to pay all its peeps and keep its lights on– and pay the Treasury General Fund $50M
They might try thinking out of the box this year.
Bring in some new customers for product production…
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-5-8-in-Zinc-Flat-Washer-804606/204633122#overlay