from the mints in the same month of the year? I would really like to know the month when coins newley minted in the 1870s would reach circulation. Lets say a newly minted 1877 indian head penny was ready for release. What month would that of happened in? Thanks for any info. Jim
Jim, The Mint has always worked on a schedule that makes no sense to anyone outside of the mint. Many coins over the years were released with dates that didn't corrospond with the year it was. Because the main purpose of the Mint is to supply commerce, coins are minted everyday of the year, and released when needed. Some are released the following year, and some have even managed to languish in Fed banks for 80 years before being released to circulation. Some dates were minted years after that particular date in which the coin bears, and a few have even been released in years prior to that on the coin. There really isn't a rhime or reason for this other than the needs of commerce. While I understand that this answer doesn't help much, it is the only way that it can be explained.
The same way you find any coin - on the secondary market. The Mint no longer has hoards of coins from previous years sitting around in their vaults. They were all dispersed years ago.
Most regular issue US coins were struck in the year that they were dated but there are some exceptions. Besides the date freeze in '64/'65 there were also 1974 dates coins being struck into 1975, and the '76 issues went into production in '75. It also is typical to begin the changeover to the new date in late december and trial strikes may commence much sooner. When the coins are released is far more haphazard. Generally the coins are available in early January but that doesn't mean you can get them. The mint and fed have rotated their stocks of coins since 1972 so that those in storage the longest are the first out the door. If there are ample supplies of old coin then the new ones will sit in storage until they are needed. There is no mechanism to obtain new releases from storage though it is possible to request special service which could be forthcoming. Some coins will have a few issued almost immediately and then it may be some time before the rest are released. Others like the 1904-O dollar will never really be released to circulation at all except for a handfull that leak out. Getting details like this on the use, wear, and actual release of all coins throughout history is one of the toughest jobs in numismatics. Curiously it is generally no easier for the more modern coins. Most of this has to be guessed at from the condition of the remaining coins and their location today. There may be someone who can answer your question but the chances aren't good. You can do some digging and keep your eyes open. They'll be a few people interested if you learn anything so let us know.
