While they should already be in production (currently being minted) no *circulating coin production figures* for 2011 coins have yet been reported. You should bookmark and watch the US Mint's web site here for such information: Coin Production
What does this mean? You are on a roll of pointless posts this day. I guess coinstar and banks with customer self-serve coin counters are a signal that coins are going bye-bye.
How often does the mint update that coin production site? Weekly? Monthly? There may be 2011 cents in circulation that just haven't been reported yet. And although the website shows no production, typically they start striking the coming years coins in late November/early December but they don't report that production until some time in January.
Took me about 10 months into 2009 to start seeing 2009 cents, any of the varieties... 2010 shields were and remain much more prevalent in circulation, from my experiences.
2009 was an exceptional year, being the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, four new designs of Lincoln cent reverses, and a commemorative dollar coin. Anything Lincoln was hoarded, especially regularly circulating coins with a new design. Eventually the mint produced a few billion Lincoln cents, and there was enough to overcome the hoarding craze. That's when they started showing up in circulation regularly. Being the design is not changing from 2010, I'd say you'll be seeing 2011 cents in the not so distant future.
I don't buy the collector hording explanation. In 2009 there were collector version roll sets, 95% proof sets and release events for collectors to take advantage of for their collection. Collectors only horded boxes from banks when the Fed finally fulfilled orders placed by banks for new cents. Collectors may have roll searched boxes of new cents for the business strikes they needed and dumped the rest of the cheap zinc cents soon after. My point is the business strikes in 2009 were not being horded, there were just none leaving the Fed until later in that year as they just weren't needed. 2009 also continues to be short on nickels, dimes and quarters in circulation. I find more 2009 quarters than anything from 2009 and yet they are scant still. This is not collector hording. 2010 Dimes are abundant, 2010 nickels aplenty and shield cents fairly regular since about mid-2010. I don't expect 2011 to be any sooner, especially since the Mint is actively engaged in rolling out so many collector version products EARLY this year compared to past years. 2011 business strikes are probably well underway in production and sitting in Fed vaults while the rest of the Mint's business is underway meeting collector and investor (bullion) demand. I will wage that most will begin reporting 2011 business strike coins in circulation later than usual this year-- mid to late 2011.
