They have been trying to lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for their employees as well, and that means lowering the number of employees per shift. Mint is making more coinage than it has in 20 years, but it’s not enough. Since people aren’t going out as much, coins that would usually make their way back into the system aren’t actually getting spent. Usually, this works enough to keep the coins moving where they need to be, but problems occur when part of that cycle breaks, with the COVID-19 pandemic that’s been the problem. Then the register is added to the cash box, which is taken to a bank.īanks, coin processors and retailers will put coins back into the economy. When you go to the convenience store and buy a soda with change, that money is put in the register. How Coin Circulation Affects the EconomyĬoins circulate through the economy as people spend money. The rest came from third-party coin processors and retail. They contributed 17% of newly minted circulating coins in 2019. The United States Mint is busy crafting new coinage all the time, including pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and more. But one impact this pandemic has had is something most people wouldn’t think about: coin circulation.
