2004 Lincoln Cents Release

Will · New Member

Does anyone know when the 2004 cents are to be released?

smed · Senior Member

January 1st 2004?

Will · New Member

I was on the US Mint website and they sell unopened bags of coins. I did not see bags of 2004 pennies. I guess that was what I was asking when they came out in by the bag full.

joeyuk · Advanced Member

I'm not positive but I thought you coold no longer buy $50 bags. Sad

coppercoins · Site Admin

Joey is correct in that cents are not distributed for circulation in bags any more, the mint quit doing that in 2002. Thing is, since then they have released smaller collector bags of coins that a person can buy directly from the mint at a premium. They supposedly are of higher quality than thoe released for normal circulation, but I don't think they are. Picking up rolls from your local bank is not only cheaper, but the product is the exact same thing. Eventually the mint will lose their business for specially packaged normal coins once people realize they are of no higher quality than what they can get for face from down the street and quit buying them from the mint.

That's my recommendation - just wait until you can buy them from the local bank.

Now - as for when they are released...

The mint changes their dies and starts producing the new coins on the first production day of the year. However, if they have a few hundred thousand coins sitting in storage from the previous year at year's end, they exhaust those before they release the new year's coins. Suggestion by lack of finding them in circulation showed that this didn't happen until close to March last year, and that could be the case again this year. They first have to be minted and their supply of previous year's coins has to be exhausted, then they have to be ordered, and when they show up at the branch bank, their supply of circulated coins and previous year's coins have to be exhausted before they open the new crates. That could be March, even April for some branch banks. but wait - it gets worse. Your local bank has to order them from the counting company (Brinks, Wells Fargo, etc.) and THEY have to get them from the fed. reserve before you see them. That could be April - May.

My suggestion - don' bother with the current year's coins until you start seeing them in circulation, then go to the bank looking for them. If you absolutely have to be the first in line to get them and you want to play the game to see who can slab a 68 first, then waste your money and order them time and time again from the mint at a premium until they finally ship something worth paying the premium for - could be two, three or four orders, and those will take a month to get to you.

Gabe · Senior Member

In Coin World, someone already reported on receiving a 2004 cent in circulation, so they are already out.

coppercoins · Site Admin

Which could be in circulation from one fed reserve branch, and others will get them a month to three months from now and might not get them until April. Because someone somewhere found one in change doesn't really change what I said - that could have come from the spoils of a special mint order, or it could in fact have come from circulation rolls made by Brinks...you never know. I was simply stating what the norm is.

Will · New Member

I just want to thank everyone for the comments. This is truly a good place to come for information. I am glad I found this web site.

coop · Expert Member

I got a 2004 Cent in my change today. First one this year.

coppercoins · Site Admin

I received a 2004P cent this past weekend from my son who found it on the ground. I believe that's the first time ever that the first find of a new year didn't come in change or a roll.