When does the US print new money?

Answer 1

US banknotes are printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on request from the Federal Reserve, the US central bank. For most denominations, print runs are made on a regular basis to replace bills that are worn out or have otherwise left circulation. Bills that circulate less often such as $2 and $100 tend to be printed as demand warrants. Requests for bills go up from regular banks to the Federal Reserve district in which the bank is located, and then to the Fed itself.

Bill designs may change for a variety of reasons. The most common and most minor change is to one or both of the signatures appearing on a bill. When a new Treasury Secretary is appointed, current practice is to change the "series" date along with his or her signature. If a new Treasurer is appointed (but not the Secretary), a letter is added to the date. The first printing in each series doesn't have a letter, so an "A" indicates a second Treasuer has been appointed, "B" the third, and so on.

Bills may also be redesigned to introduce new anti-counterfeiting features. For example, all denominations from $5 to $100 have had 2 major redesigns since the 1990s as more and more security features have been added.

Answer 2

The U.S. prints new money when there is a need to replace damaged or old currency, to accommodate economic growth, and to maintain the balance of currency in circulation. The decision to print new money is made by the Federal Reserve in response to various economic factors.