2004 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 2004

The Westward Journey nickels began, marking the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition.

New this year: the Westward Journey Nickel.

How many coins were made in 2004

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 13,181,260,000 coins dated 2004 across 22 issues. That is close to the 2003 total of 12,036,440,000. In 2005 the figure rose to 15,302,690,500.

By mint: Philadelphia 6,634,320,000 (50%, up from 5,954,120,000) and Denver 6,546,940,000 (50%, up from 6,082,320,000).

2004 coins by denomination

Cents: 6,836,000,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Lincoln Memorial Cent, down 0.18% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004 (3,379,600,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-D (3,456,400,000).

Nickels: 1,445,040,000 struck in 4 circulation issues of the Westward Journey Nickel, up 75% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004-D Keelboat Nickel (344,880,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel (372,000,000).

Dimes: 2,487,500,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, up 20% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004-D (1,159,500,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-P (1,328,000,000).

Quarters: 2,401,600,000 struck in 10 circulation issues of the 50 State Quarter, up 5.3% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004-P Iowa Quarter (213,800,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-P Texas Quarter (278,800,000).

Half Dollars: 5,800,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Kennedy Half Dollar, up 16% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004-P (2,900,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-D (2,900,000).

Dollar Coins: 5,320,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Sacagawea Dollar, down 14% on 2003. The scarcest is the 2004-P (2,660,000) and the most plentiful the 2004-D (2,660,000).

Every 2004 circulation issue at a glance

• 2004-P Sacagawea Dollar: 2,660,000 struck, 19th lowest of 46 in the series, similar to 2003.
• 2004-D Sacagawea Dollar: 2,660,000 struck, 20th lowest of 46 in the series, similar to 2003.
• 2004-P Kennedy Half Dollar: 2,900,000 struck, 31st lowest of 116 in the series, similar to 2003.
• 2004-D Kennedy Half Dollar: 2,900,000 struck, 32nd lowest of 116 in the series, similar to 2003.
• 2004-P Iowa Quarter: 213,800,000 struck, 2nd lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-D Michigan Quarter: 225,800,000 struck, 9th lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-P Wisconsin Quarter: 226,400,000 struck, 10th lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-D Wisconsin Quarter: 226,800,000 struck, 11th lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-P Michigan Quarter: 233,800,000 struck, 17th lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-P Florida Quarter: 240,200,000 struck, 20th lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-D Florida Quarter: 241,600,000 struck, 21st lowest of 100 in the series.
• 2004-D Iowa Quarter: 251,400,000 struck, 28th lowest of 100 in the series.

The 10 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Lincoln Memorial Cent: Rising metal costs and the last Memorial cents

Cent production fell from the 2000 peak, settling between about 2.5 and 4.3 billion a year at each mint from 2002. By 2006 rising zinc and copper prices meant the cent cost more than face value to make. In December 2006 the Mint issued rules restricting the melting and export of cents and nickels, since older bronze cents contained more than a cent of metal.

Beginning in 2005, the Mint's uncirculated sets included cents with a satin finish, giving these years a distinct collector version. Proof cents from San Francisco show deep mirror fields with frosted designs. The 2008 marked the last year of the Memorial reverse before the 2009 Bicentennial designs. Circulated coins from this period often show plating wear or zinc rot, while many collectors still save rolls of uncirculated cents.

See every Lincoln Memorial Cent →

Westward Journey Nickel: Lewis and Clark on the nickel

The Westward Journey nickels marked the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 2004 two reverses used the original obverse. The Peace Medal by Norman E. Nemeth was based on medals given to tribal leaders, while the Keelboat by Al Maletsky shows the expedition's boat. The American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003 required the Monticello reverse to return after the series.

In 2005 a new obverse by Joe Fitzgerald showed Jefferson facing right with Liberty in his handwriting. The American Bison reverse by Jamie Franki and the Ocean in View reverse by Fitzgerald completed the series. The 2005-D Bison has a die gouge variety called the Speared Bison. Satin finish coins came in 2005 mint sets. Many were saved, so uncirculated coins are plentiful.

See every Westward Journey Nickel →

Roosevelt Dime: Silver proofs and the 1996-W

Silver proof sets returned in 1992, so collectors could once more buy proof dimes struck in 90 percent silver at San Francisco alongside the clad proofs. In 1996 the Mint marked the dime's 50th anniversary by placing a West Point dime with a W mint mark in each uncirculated set. About 1.46 million were made, the lowest mintage dime of the 1990s apart from the proofs.

Circulation demand peaked in 1999, when Philadelphia alone struck more than 2.1 billion dimes. From 2005 the dimes in uncirculated sets carried a satin finish that sets them apart from business strikes, a detail worth checking when sorting coins removed from sets. Dimes of this era found in pocket change are usually lightly worn clad pieces with their outer layers intact. Proof dimes from both the clad and silver sets of these years survive in large numbers.

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Kennedy Half Dollar: Collector-only production

From 2002 the Mint stopped releasing halves into circulation and struck them only for collectors, sold in rolls, bags and sets. Mintages stayed between about 1.7 and 3.8 million per mint through 2012. In 2014 the Mint marked the 50th anniversary with a 1964-2014 dual-dated gold proof from West Point, 73,772 struck, along with silver versions from all four mints.

Silver proofs switched to .999 fine silver in 2019. Output for collectors rose again after 2020, with Philadelphia striking 30.2 million in 2023. Business strikes of these years are rarely found in change, so most surviving coins are uncirculated, often still in original Mint rolls or packaging. Silver proofs of the 2020s were made in smaller numbers than those of earlier decades.

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Sacagawea Dollar: The golden dollar and the soaring eagle

The Sacagawea dollar launched in 2000 with a large publicity push, including dollars handed out through a cereal promotion and at a national retail chain. Philadelphia and Denver struck well over a billion coins that first year. People liked the gold color but kept spending paper dollars and the coins piled up in bank vaults.

From 2002 the Mint stopped shipping Sacagawea dollars for general circulation and sold them to collectors in rolls, bags and sets instead. That is why mintages drop from hundreds of millions in 2000 and tens of millions in 2001 to a few million a year after that and why later dates from these years are rarely found in change. Uncirculated coins with bright, untoned color are the ones collectors want.

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