1949 US Coins: Values & Mintages

How many coins were made in 1949

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 645,406,500 coins dated 1949 across 14 issues. That is 32% fewer than in 1948 (955,593,714). In 1950 the figure rose to 927,942,597.

It was the smallest year since 1938.

By mint: Philadelphia 324,293,000 (50%, down from 520,070,814), Denver 229,853,500 (36%, down from 291,007,900) and San Francisco 91,260,000 (14%, down from 144,515,000).

Those coins held about 13,478,815 troy ounces of pure silver.

1949 coins by denomination

Cents: 435,197,500 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Lincoln Wheat Cent, down 24% on 1948. The scarcest is the 1949-S (64,290,000) and the most plentiful the 1949 (217,775,000).

Nickels: 106,866,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, down 26% on 1948. The scarcest is the 1949-S (9,716,000) and the most plentiful the 1949 (60,652,000).

Dimes: 70,484,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, down 57% on 1948. The scarcest is the 1949-S (13,510,000) and the most plentiful the 1949 (30,940,000).

Quarters: 19,380,400 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, down 71% on 1948. The scarcest is the 1949 (9,312,000) and the most plentiful the 1949-D (10,068,400).

Half Dollars: 13,478,600 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Franklin Half Dollar, up 92% on 1948. The scarcest is the 1949-S (3,744,000) and the most plentiful the 1949 (5,614,000).

Every 1949 circulation issue at a glance

• 1949-S Franklin Half Dollar: 3,744,000 struck, 4th lowest of 35 in the series.
• 1949-D Franklin Half Dollar: 4,120,600 struck, 8th lowest of 35 in the series, similar to 1948.
• 1949 Franklin Half Dollar: 5,614,000 struck, 13th lowest of 35 in the series, up from 3,006,814 in 1948.
• 1949 Washington Quarter: 9,312,000 struck, 22nd lowest of 144 in the series, down from 35,196,000 in 1948.
• 1949-S Jefferson Nickel: 9,716,000 struck, 8th lowest of 146 in the series, similar to 1948.
• 1949-D Washington Quarter: 10,068,400 struck, 24th lowest of 144 in the series, down from 16,766,800 in 1948.
• 1949-S Roosevelt Dime: 13,510,000 struck, 3rd lowest of 168 in the series, down from 35,520,000 in 1948, a famous date.
• 1949-D Roosevelt Dime: 26,034,000 struck, 8th lowest of 168 in the series, down from 52,841,000 in 1948.
• 1949 Roosevelt Dime: 30,940,000 struck, 10th lowest of 168 in the series, down from 74,950,000 in 1948.
• 1949-D Jefferson Nickel: 36,498,000 struck, 28th lowest of 146 in the series, similar to 1948.
• 1949 Jefferson Nickel: 60,652,000 struck, 45th lowest of 146 in the series, down from 89,348,000 in 1948.
• 1949-S Lincoln Wheat Cent: 64,290,000 struck, 62nd lowest of 140 in the series, down from 81,735,000 in 1948.

The 2 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Lincoln Wheat Cent: Postwar bronze, the 1955 doubled die and the final wheat cents

Bronze returned in 1947 and proof sets resumed in 1950. Postwar output kept climbing until Denver exceeded one billion cents for the first time in 1956. San Francisco struck its last wheat cents in 1955, ending S mint mark cents until 1968, which led many people to hoard the 1955-S.

The 1955 doubled die obverse is the most famous variety of this era. A misaligned hub impression doubled the date and lettering. Roughly 20,000 coins reached circulation, many through cigarette vending machines in New England. Also look for the 1956-D/D repunched mint mark and the rare 1958 doubled die obverse, with only a few known. The Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears in 1959, so 1958 was the last year of the wheat design. Uncirculated red coins from this era are abundant.

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Jefferson Nickel: Return to copper-nickel and the 1950-D

The prewar alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel returned in 1946, along with the small mint mark to the right of Monticello. Output was modest in the late 1940s as wartime demand eased. The 1950-D, with only 2.6 million coined, became the key date of the series. Speculators hoarded it in rolls almost at once, so it is found in uncirculated condition more often than worn.

Overmintmarks from this period include the 1949-D/S, 1954-S/D and 1955-D/S, created when a die was punched with one mint mark and then corrected with another. San Francisco stopped striking nickels after 1954. Philadelphia struck a low 8.3 million in 1955. Coins from these years are common in uncirculated condition, but full steps examples are scarce for many dates, especially from Denver and San Francisco.

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Roosevelt Dime: Silver dimes from three mints

The Roosevelt dime went into circulation on January 30, 1946, Franklin Roosevelt's birthday, less than a year after his death. John R. Sinnock's design honored the president's work for the March of Dimes. Philadelphia struck more than 255 million in that first year alone. Denver and San Francisco also struck dimes, with the mint mark placed on the reverse just left of the torch base. Proof dimes returned in 1950 after a pause that began during World War II.

Output fell sharply in 1949 and again in 1955. The 1949-S at about 13.5 million and the three 1955 issues have the lowest mintages of the silver era. The 1955-S was also the last dime with an S mint mark made for circulation. Collectors look closely at the torch, where fully separated horizontal bands earn a Full Bands designation. Most survivors from these years are worn silver pieces that were pulled from change before 1965.

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Washington Quarter: Postwar silver to the end

Production slowed after the war. San Francisco made no quarters in 1949 and struck its last S-marked circulating quarters in 1954. The 1955-D, at 3,182,400, is the lowest mintage of these years. The 1958 Philadelphia run of 6,360,000 is also low. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D varieties show one mint mark punched over another and are the best known varieties of the period.

Mintages rose through the late 1950s and early 1960s, then exploded in 1964 when more than 1.26 billion were struck at Philadelphia and Denver. Quarters dated 1964 continued to be made into 1966 to frustrate hoarders. Proofs resumed in 1950 and topped one million in most years from 1957. Every quarter of these years is 90 percent silver and weighs 6.25 grams. Worn examples still turn up in old jars and are usually sold for their silver.

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Franklin Half Dollar: Sinnock's Franklin and the first sets

The Franklin half dollar replaced the Walking Liberty in 1948. John R. Sinnock prepared the design before his death in 1947 and Gilroy Roberts completed it. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell with a small eagle to its right, added to meet the legal requirement for an eagle on the larger silver coins.

Only Philadelphia and Denver struck halves in 1948, about 3 million and 4 million. Both are popular first-year coins. San Francisco joined in 1949. The 1949-S, at 3,744,000, is scarce with full bell lines, the grading term for complete horizontal lines across the lower bell. Proof Franklins began in 1950 with just over 51,000 sets, the lowest proof mintage of the series. San Francisco made no halves in 1950.

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