March coin production continues to slide

We’ve rounded up the latest U.S. Mint production totals for circulating coins and are noticing some dramatic changes compared to the first two months of 2019.

Production at the Philadelphia Mint is showing a decline in every denomination of all circulating coins compared with both January and February. From February to March the total coins produced at that location decreased by 40%. Denver, on the other hand, outpaced February in all denominations, with overall production increasing by 11%.
Cents saw a decrease of 117.2 million from February, representing just over half of the total decrease in circulating coins produced. With that noted, just less than 2.2 billion cents total were produced year-to-date. Nickels decreased in March by 14.3M, with dimes and quarters decreasing 38.5M and 31M respectively.

There were no half dollars or golden dollars produced in March, as the Federal Reserve Banks are no longer ordering them for circulation, but instead, they are produced in circulating finish for the collecting community and the entire quantity needed for each year is struck by the U.S. Mint in January.

Compared to 2018, March production is down 19%, with first quarter production up year over year though. Total production through March was at 3,570,974,000 in 2018 with 2019 totals ringing in at 3,818,300,000, representing a 7% increase.