US Coin Circulation: The Path Forward

The significant disruption of the coin supply chain in the United States as a result of the pandemic is well- documented. What is less well- documented, or even understood, is why these shortages have persisted even as economic and consumer activity have returned.

The US Coin Task Force was convened in 2020 by the Federal Reserve and the United States Mint – along with financial institutions, armoured carriers, retailers, and consumer groups – to identify, refine and promote strategies to resolve the coin supply chain issues. Amongst other actions, it commissioned a paper – The State of Coin – earlier this year to examine the causes of the circulation challenge, following this up with a second paper – US Coin Circulation: The Path Forward – which was published last month, and offers a solutions roadmap.