May 2009

Fewer U.S. coins of most denominations are likely to be struck during 2009 than at any time in decades. On April 23 the U.S. Mint announced that it has ceased striking five and ten cent pieces for the remainder of the year. The announcement advises that the only circulation quality coins still to be struck this year are territorial quarters, Presidential and Native American dollars, and the three remaining circulating commemorative Lincoln cents.  Through April the Mint reports striking 1.556 billion coins of all denominations, excluding bullion and non-circulating commemoratives.  Extrapolating this figure through the end of the year, total production would be about 4.5 billion coins. That compares to 10.14 billion during 2008 and 14.44 billion during 2007. The dramatic decline is the result of reduced demand for change due to the recession and, to some extent, stashes of coins being returned to circulation.

A total of 79.2 million nickels and 146 million dimes were produced through April.  If these figures are final, they'll be the lowest mintages for the two denominations since 1951 and 1956, respectively.  Nickel strikings are approximately evenly divided between the Philadelphia and Denver facilities. Nearly twice as many dimes were struck in Philadelphia as in Denver.

The final mintage for the first of four 2009 pennies with reverse designs commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln is 634.8 million pieces, of which 350 million were struck in Denver and 284.8 million in Philadelphia.  If similar numbers of the remaining three Lincoln cents are struck, the combined mintage of about 2.5 billion would be the lowest for the one cent coin since 1966.

At 172 million and 139 million, respectively, mintages for 2009 District of Columbia and Puerto Rico quarters are well below any of the state quarters issued during the prior ten years.  The 98.4 million William Henry Harrison and 87.1 million John Tyler dollar coins struck through April mark the first two instances of Presidential dollar mintages below 100 million (the Puerto Rico quarter and Tyler dollar figures may not yet be final). By law Native American dollars must be 20% of total dollar coin production.  However, there's no sign of these coins being released into circulation in significant quantities.

Collectors continue to report difficulty obtaining the Lincoln "Birthplace" cent.  Given the low mintages and halt in production reported by the Mint, the same will likely be true for 2009 Jefferson nickels and Roosevelt dimes.

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