The U.S. Mint took to social media to let everyone know that they struck 24 million coins since January 2020.
After COVID-19 shut down the world, the supply chain was interrupted and not moving as expected. As businesses began to open, regulators ordered the U.S. Mint to increase circulating coin production so the Federal Reserve could push coins through the economy.
In 2020, the U.S. Mint struck 14.774 billion coins, 23.7-percent more than they struck in 2019. The announcement means that in the first ten months of 2021, the U.S. Mint struck 10 billion additional coins. It appears that the U.S. Mint will match the production rate of 2020.
Although collectors have a lot to say about how they have been treated, the U.S. Mint exceeds its primary mission as the nation’s coin manufacturer.