U.S. coin production reached a three-month high in January, according to newly released United States Mint manufacturing data. However, output remained below 1 billion coins for the 17th consecutive month, following an earlier streak of eight months above that threshold.
The U.S. Mint produced 633.56 million coins for circulating during the month – including cents, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half dollars – reflecting a 61.8% jump from December but a 16.2% decline from January 2024.
Here’s how January’s production compares to previous months over the past year:
January 2024 to January 2025 Circulating Coin Production
| Month | Mintages | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 633.56 M | 4 |
| December 2024 | 391.70 M | 9 |
| November 2024 | 602.90 M | 5 |
| October 2024 | 826.60 M | 1 |
| September 2024 | 486.00 M | 6 |
| August 2024 | 405.20 M | 7 |
| July 2024 | 235.20 M | 12 |
| June 2024 | 168.22 M | 13 |
| May 2024 | 396.08 M | 8 |
| April 2024 | 368.20 M | 11 |
| March 2024 | 332.70 M | 10 |
| February 2024 | 644.86 M | 3 |
| January 2024 | 755.98 M | 2 |
The U.S. Mint’s primary mission is to manufacture coins in response to public demand. It manufactures, sells, and delivers circulating coins to Federal Reserve Banks and their coin terminals, ensuring commercial banks and other financial institutions have the necessary supply.
Despite costing the Mint 3.69 cents to produce and distribute each penny, the Federal Reserve consistently orders more of them than any other denomination. In January, the Mint struck 242.4 million Lincoln cents, accounting for 38.3% of all circulating-quality coins produced for the month.
The future of the penny, however, is increasingly uncertain. On Feb. 9, President Trump ordered an end to its production, calling the move a step toward reducing "wasteful" government spending.
"For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time," Trump wrote.
Month-Over-Month
In month-over-month comparisons for coins commonly used by Americans, January production saw:
- 9.4% fewer Lincoln cents,
- 280% more Jefferson nickels,
- 52.8% more Roosevelt dimes, and
- 870.8% more quarters.
Mintages of Native American Dollars and Kennedy Halves
The U.S. Mint also produces other coins in circulating quality, including half dollars and dollars. While Native American $1 coins are no longer ordered by the Federal Reserve, they continue to be minted in circulating quality for collectors. The same applied to Kennedy half dollars until recent years — specifically in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
In many years, the U.S. Mint strikes both denominations in January to meet the expected demand for the entire year. However, that has not been the case for Kennedy half dollars over the past four years, as the Federal Reserve unexpectedly ordered millions more for circulation — approximately 12 million in 2021, 7 million in 2022, 18 million in 2023, and 52 million in 2024.
It remains unclear whether any 2025 Kennedy half dollars will be produced for general circulation. So far, production figures show 3.6 million half dollars struck at the Denver Mint and 5.8 million at the Philadelphia Mint, for a total of 9.4 million coins. By comparison, 2024 production totaled 21.9 million from Denver and 15.7 million from Philadelphia, amounting to 37.6 million coins.
Mintage levels for 2025 Native American dollars are expected to remain unchanged, with 1.12 million struck at both the Denver and Philadelphia Mints for a combined 2.24 million coins – the same totals as in the previous two years.
On Jan. 28, the U.S. Mint began selling rolls, bags, and boxes of 2025 Native American dollars from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints. Collectors can expect rolls and bags of circulating 2025 Kennedy half dollars to become available on May 6.
The following table details 2025 circulating coin mintages by production facility, denomination, and design.
U.S. Mint Circulating Coin Production in January 2025
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Cent | 82,400,000 | 160,000,000 | 242,400,000 |
| Jefferson Nickel | 43,680,000 | 38,400,000 | 82,080,000 |
| Roosevelt Dime | 68,500,000 | 56,000,000 | 124,500,000 |
| Quarters | 84,200,000 | 88,600,000 | 172,800,000 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollar | 3,600,000 | 5,800,000 | 9,400,000 |
| Native American $1 Coin | 1,120,000 | 1,260,000 | 2,380,000 |
| Total | 283,500,000 | 350,060,000 | 633,560,000 |
In total January production, the Denver Mint struck 283.5 million coins, while the Philadelphia Mint produced 350.06 million, bringing the combined output to 633.56 million coins. As previously noted, this represents a 16.2% decline from the 755.98 million coins minted in January 2024.
If the current production pace continues through December, the 2025 annual mintage would surpass 7.6 billion coins. For comparison, the U.S. Mint produced just over 5.6 billion coins for circulation in 2024, marking the lowest output since 2009.
Mint data also shows that 172.8 million quarters were struck in January, primarily consisting of Ida B. Wells quarters (168.4 million) and Juliette Gordon Low quarters (4.4 million), the 16th and 17th releases in the Mint’s 20-coin American Women Quarters™ series. Given their relatively low mintages, more of these same designs are likely to be produced later this year. The Mint began selling Ida B. Wells quarters in early February, with Juliette Gordon Low quarters set for release in March.
Major D said previously: “Yes! Not only is it user unfriendly–but it now also deletes product numbers and products from past schedules.”Not sure methods you use,however this may help or may help another reader that may be looking for US Mint product information. Using your favorite search engine, I suggest typing in a product name as close to the actual naming convention and adding US Mint and either press release, catalog, or both which I’ve often had pretty good success getting the data I’m looking for. Things such as release dates, original pricing, household limits, order windows, product description, and… Read more »
Also a reminder. Some of you may want to make sure you are signed up via subscriptions for this years Uncirculated, Proof and or Silver Proof sets. Not only could this be the end although not likely for collectors of the Lincoln Cent, this will be the last year or end for the Kennedy half Dollar as we know it.
Many thanks, CaliSkier, for this very timely and important heads up. It really helps to be reminded of these kinds of things.
The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act authorizes the redesign of the half dollar between 2027 and 2030 with images on the reverse “emblematic of a sport tailored to athletes with a range of disabilities, including physical impairment, vision impairment and intellectual impairment.” Each half dollar will feature a single Paralympic sport after consultation with U.S. Paralympics, with one sport featured each year. So Kennedy will return to the obverse of the half dollar in 2027, but the eagle won’t return until 2031, if ever. I hope all of you like sports, because we’ll be seeing lots of them on our coins… Read more »
Morgan mentions: “So Kennedy will return to the obverse of the half dollar” The obverse will have Kennedy, however the likeness will be different. They could update the 2027 Kennedy Half with a profile facing right vs left, a straight on profile, larger or smaller or something like they did when they changed the image on the nickel? “(C) HALF DOLLAR OBVERSE.—The design on the obverse of the half dollar shall maintain a likeness of John Kennedy, and be designed in a manner so as to distinguish it from the obverse design used on the current half dollar” Also, an… Read more »
Thanks for the interesting info on the half $. In looking at the two Jefferson nickel obverse designs side-by-side what really captures my attention is the relief on the older one. I’ve found some older ones (1957-1964) recently in rolls that were BU. What a gorgeous coin in full relief and full luster! It’s too bad that the newer design is so flat- it really is a lesser coin IMO because of it.
If the Mint ceases production of the cent starting this month or next per Presidential directive then its total coin production for this year would fall well below last year’s.
The Federal Reserve Bank, not the United States Mint or the President, determines how many coins of which denominations are produced for circulation. Although an instrument of the U.S. government, the Federal Reserve considers itself “an independent central bank because its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by the president or by anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government. It does not receive funding appropriated by Congress and the terms of the members of the board of governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms.” Conceivably the President could order the Mint, which is part… Read more »
I do understand what you’re saying here, morgan; however, there does appear to be somewhat of a gray area in this entire arrangement regarding the production of coins. I picked up the following bit of information from the web site of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
“The Federal Reserve’s role in coin operations is more limited than its role in currency operations. As the issuing authority for coins, the United States Mint determines annual coin production.”
Who knows; perhaps the final decision on the fate of the cent will have to be made by the courts.
Kaiser, I think the next question to get sorted out after businesses make the adjustment for no more cents is what to do with all of them. I’d really like to see them demonetized, after a period of cash exchange or deposit to banks. That way it would be legal to melt the copper ones finally: a boom for both hoarders and collectors, the later would see values go up as vast supplies get melted away.
I’d say it is a done deal as far as the circulation 1c production ending. There’s no way that the Mint will go against the president. Remember the Treasury Sec ending the production of the Presidential $1 coins for circulation in 2012, yet they continued to be produced for numi sets through 2016? This leads me to believe that the Mint could continue to produce numi products with the 1c for collectors.
My belief exactly but higher prices, suckers await, PT Musk will determine proper price for buyers..
Not directly regarding the penny, but I wonder how many penny planchets are in inventory. Maybe the US Mint can sell rolls and bags of blank penny planchets for an elevated price. Or how about this bags of waffled penny planchets.
On the other hand, VinnieC, since already-minted coins are regularly melted down by the Mint it should be possible for them to do the same with blank cent planchets.