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Coin Production Declines in 2008
By Mike Unser U.S. Mint
circulating coin production is down across the
board based on a current pace that should see
about 10.1 billion coins minted in 2008. That
compares to 14.4 billion coins issued in 2007
and over 15 billion in years 2006 and 2005. In
fact, at the current rate, 2008 coin output will
end at its lowest level in at least the last ten
years.
The Mint’s first release of production figures
for 2008 reported 3.2 billion coins struck
through April. The newest figures indicated 6.7
billion coins were minted through August, or
about 842 million coins on average per month.
The comparison charts shown below provide the
best visual evidence of the declines at both
Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia.
As a side note, unlike April’s figures that had
no Kennedy half-dollars or Sacagawea $1s, the
latest numbers indicate production of those
coins have resumed, although in comparative
small quantities.
Unchanged from the last report is this year’s
trend where pennies, nickels and dimes are
produced in much greater numbers at Denver —
although at a lesser percentage gap than the
first four months of this year.
Over half of all coins produced to date in 2008
are Lincoln cents (3.58 billion).
As a measure for yourself, take a visual glance
at some of the production figures from the Mint.
US Mint Coin Production Charts (1999-2008)
3-D charts compare which Mint facility produces
the most coins of a type by a given year. The
control panel in lower left may be used to stop
or move slides. Penny,
Nickel, Dime and Quarter Coin Production Charts
(1999-2008)
(2008 figures go through to August.)
While the Mint issues billions of coins each
year at an absolutely amazing rate, demand is
apparently falling with a pick up in
transactions through plastic (credit cards and
the like).
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