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Planchet supply is enough to keep the cent in production
- Published: Apr 9, 2025, 5 PM
The United States Mint is strategically planning to execute efforts at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints to cut back the output of Lincoln cents for general release through the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve remains the U.S. Mint’s lone customer for copper-plated zinc cents, whose production costs more than their face value.
Weeks ago, President Trump announced his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) measure to eliminate Lincoln cent production altogether, an authority the president does not have. Monetary authority, codified in law, rests with Congress.
Legislation introduced in the 119th Congress would specifically limit production of the Lincoln cent, a coin that has been struck for nearly 116 years since its introduction in 1909.
Unstruck planchets
The inventory of unstruck ready-to-strike cent planchets combined at the Denver and Philadelphia Mints is considered by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Mint enough to handle production needs for the near future as the mintages wind down, with no more planchets ordered from the lone outside vendor.
The unstruck planchets are also sufficient for striking Uncirculated Lincolns cents at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints for inclusion in 2025 Uncirculated Mint sets and for Proof sets executed at the San Francisco Mint.
The ready-to-strike planchets with raised rims have been produced for decades by the same contracted outside vendor in Tennessee. The vendor has undergone several name changes — Alltrista Corp. in Greeneville, Jarden Zinc Products at the same location in Greeneville, and now Artazn LLC, as a subsidiary of One Rock Capital in Tusculum, Tennessee.
Newspapers in the region have published concerns that, should the U.S. Mint completely sever any contracts for planchets, the move could financially cripple Artazn LLC.
Circulation production
So far for 2025, through April 1, the Denver Mint has produced 295.4 million Lincoln cents dated 2025 for circulation, with the Philadelphia Mint’s share 350 million cents.
In calendar year 2024, Denver struck 780.4 million cents, and Philadelphia struck 734.8 million cents. For 2023, 2,260,800,000 cents were struck at Denver and 2,262,000,000 cents at Philadelphia.
Cent production and distribution costs have exceeded face value for several years.
Per coin costs published in the Annual Report of the Mint for Fiscal Year 2024 put total production and related costs at 3.69 cents; in 2023 the total cost per coin was 3.07 cents, and in 2022, it was 2.72 cents.
During the past decade of research and development for a cost-saving alternative composition for the Lincoln cent, no options identified to lower cost would bring the per coin costs below face value.
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Community Comments
Planchet supply is enough to keep the cent in production
- Published: Apr 9, 2025, 5 PM
The United States Mint is strategically planning to execute efforts at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints to cut back the output of Lincoln cents for general release through the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve remains the U.S. Mint’s lone customer for copper-plated zinc cents, whose production costs more than their face value.
Weeks ago, President Trump announced his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) measure to eliminate Lincoln cent production altogether, an authority the president does not have. Monetary authority, codified in law, rests with Congress.
Legislation introduced in the 119th Congress would specifically limit production of the Lincoln cent, a coin that has been struck for nearly 116 years since its introduction in 1909.
Unstruck planchets
The inventory of unstruck ready-to-strike cent planchets combined at the Denver and Philadelphia Mints is considered by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Mint enough to handle production needs for the near future as the mintages wind down, with no more planchets ordered from the lone outside vendor.
The unstruck planchets are also sufficient for striking Uncirculated Lincolns cents at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints for inclusion in 2025 Uncirculated Mint sets and for Proof sets executed at the San Francisco Mint.
The ready-to-strike planchets with raised rims have been produced for decades by the same contracted outside vendor in Tennessee. The vendor has undergone several name changes — Alltrista Corp. in Greeneville, Jarden Zinc Products at the same location in Greeneville, and now Artazn LLC, as a subsidiary of One Rock Capital in Tusculum, Tennessee.
Newspapers in the region have published concerns that, should the U.S. Mint completely sever any contracts for planchets, the move could financially cripple Artazn LLC.
Circulation production
So far for 2025, through April 1, the Denver Mint has produced 295.4 million Lincoln cents dated 2025 for circulation, with the Philadelphia Mint’s share 350 million cents.
In calendar year 2024, Denver struck 780.4 million cents, and Philadelphia struck 734.8 million cents. For 2023, 2,260,800,000 cents were struck at Denver and 2,262,000,000 cents at Philadelphia.
Cent production and distribution costs have exceeded face value for several years.
Per coin costs published in the Annual Report of the Mint for Fiscal Year 2024 put total production and related costs at 3.69 cents; in 2023 the total cost per coin was 3.07 cents, and in 2022, it was 2.72 cents.
During the past decade of research and development for a cost-saving alternative composition for the Lincoln cent, no options identified to lower cost would bring the per coin costs below face value.
Connect with Coin World:
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.