Reply #5: actually...

[DontTreadOnMe]

it doesn't "equal out" as much as you think.

1. Not all denominations are made in the same amounts. For bills, the $100, $20 and the $1 are printed in the largest amounts, in that order.
$50, $5 and $10 come in with the ten dollar bill being the lowest print runs. The key factor with bills, the average life is roughly 17 months.
Yes, 17 months! ... they get worn and returned to be replaced. The BEP prints roughly $10 BILLION face value in bills... PER MONTH!

2. Coins last roughly 30 years. I don't want to go into all the mintage details for coins, the numbers are so large they almost seem meaningless.


To sum up the point, it roughly cost twice as much to make a coin vs a bill. BUT if you do the math and compare how long they last... coins are much cheaper to produce.

As an avid coin collector, I have always wished they would get rid of the penny... my Lincoln Set will skyrocket! :)