This low-mintage issue was always scarce in circulation, but especially so at the time of its coining. Like most Depression-era coins, these pieces were not immediately needed for commerce, and collectors had to purchase their two-coin allotment of 1933-D cents from the Treasury Department at face value plus postage. A few years later, however, the vaults were emptied of the remaining pieces, many of which were hoarded by speculators in Mint State rolls.
The 1933-D cent marked the debut of a new mintmark puncheon for Denver coins, this letter D being noticeably larger than that used previously for cents. It was used also for the only other 1933 Denver entry, the Oregon Trail Half Dollar commemorative. A few leftover reverse dies for other denominations were used in 1934 and featured the Small D, but cents, due to having their mintmarks on the dated obverse, were all of the Large D variety from 1933 onward.
Mintage:
| Philadelphia | Denver |
| 14,360,000 | 6,200,000 |