1951 US Coins: Values & Mintages

How many coins were made in 1951

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 1,422,592,306 coins dated 1951 across 15 issues. That is 53% more than in 1950 (927,942,597). In 1952 the figure rose to 1,605,859,383.

It was the biggest year since 1946.

By mint: Denver 747,174,000 (53%, up from 413,490,230), Philadelphia 477,258,306 (34%, up from 365,223,363) and San Francisco 198,160,000 (14%, up from 149,229,004).

Those coins held about 44,237,786 troy ounces of pure silver.

1951 coins by denomination

Cents: 1,045,941,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Lincoln Wheat Cent, up 44% on 1950. The scarcest is the 1951-S (136,010,000) and the most plentiful the 1951-D (625,355,000).

Nickels: 56,788,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, up 357% on 1950. The scarcest is the 1951-S (7,776,000) and the most plentiful the 1951 (28,552,000).

Dimes: 192,039,102 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, up 64% on 1950. The scarcest is the 1951-S (31,630,000) and the most plentiful the 1951 (103,880,102).

Quarters: 87,850,902 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, up 56% on 1950. The scarcest is the 1951-S (9,048,000) and the most plentiful the 1951 (43,448,102).

Half Dollars: 39,973,302 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Franklin Half Dollar, up 153% on 1950. The scarcest is the 1951-D (9,475,200) and the most plentiful the 1951 (16,802,102).

Every 1951 circulation issue at a glance

• 1951-S Jefferson Nickel: 7,776,000 struck, 6th lowest of 146 in the series, similar to 1949.
• 1951-S Washington Quarter: 9,048,000 struck, 20th lowest of 144 in the series, similar to 1950.
• 1951-D Franklin Half Dollar: 9,475,200 struck, more than 53% of the series' 35 issues, similar to 1950.
• 1951-S Franklin Half Dollar: 13,696,000 struck, more than 65% of the series' 35 issues, up from 3,744,000 in 1949.
• 1951 Franklin Half Dollar: 16,802,102 struck, more than 68% of the series' 35 issues, up from 7,742,123 in 1950.
• 1951-D Jefferson Nickel: 20,460,000 struck, 17th lowest of 146 in the series, up from 2,630,030 in 1950.
• 1951 Jefferson Nickel: 28,552,000 struck, 22nd lowest of 146 in the series, up from 9,796,000 in 1950.
• 1951-S Roosevelt Dime: 31,630,000 struck, 11th lowest of 168 in the series, up from 20,440,000 in 1950.
• 1951-D Washington Quarter: 35,354,800 struck, 55th lowest of 144 in the series, up from 21,075,600 in 1950.
• 1951 Washington Quarter: 43,448,102 struck, 62nd lowest of 144 in the series, up from 24,920,126 in 1950.
• 1951-D Roosevelt Dime: 56,529,000 struck, 23rd lowest of 168 in the series, similar to 1950.
• 1951 Roosevelt Dime: 103,880,102 struck, 32nd lowest of 168 in the series, up from 50,130,114 in 1950.

The 3 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: San Francisco coins and the 1955 Bugs Bunny

Output rose sharply from 1951, with Denver passing 25 million in 1952 and 1954. San Francisco struck halves every year through 1954. Those S coins are often weakly struck, so full bell line examples are rare. The 1953 Philadelphia issue is low at 2,796,920. Proof sales climbed every year of the period.

In 1955 only Philadelphia struck halves, just 2,876,381. Many 1955 coins show the Bugs Bunny clashed die, where marks from the eagle's wings on the reverse die left lines in front of Franklin's mouth that resemble buck teeth. Despite the low mintage, the 1955 was widely saved in rolls, so uncirculated examples are easy to find. The 1954-S was the last Franklin half from San Francisco. Many collectors assemble these dates from original mint sets of the period.

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