When it comes to sovereign mints, the United States Mint stands among elite company in the global precious metals marketplace with the likes of the Royal Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint as standard-bearers for numismatic coin design and production. As the month of April is now upon us, the United States Mint is pausing for a moment to reflect on 224 years of minting history and celebrate some special occasions that have occurred in the mint’s recent and historic past during the month of April.
Founding a Legacy
Today, the United States Mint is a giant in the global precious metals industry. Rewind time back to 1792 and there was no such thing as the United States Mint. Prior to the authorization and formation of the US Mint, Americans in the newly formed United States were using a variety of coinage to facilitate trade among the states and a handful of global partners. Everything from state-issued coins and the coinage of foreign nations, predominantly the Spanish real, was considered legal tender in the United States at this time.
It wasn’t until passage of the Coinage Act of 1792 that the United States Mint was authorized. Passed on April 2, 1792, the Act of Congress established a new United States Mint with its original facility in Philadelphia, PA. It was authorized to produce gold, silver, and copper coins for the nation. On April 13, 1792, President George Washington appointed the first Director of the United States Mint, David Rittenhouse.
Here’s a few fascinating figures and dates that tell the tale of the US Mint in brief:
- 1857: It wasn’t until passage of the Coinage Act of 1857 that foreign coinage was stripped of legal tender status in the US.
- Less than 100,000: The number of coins the US Mint was able to produce on an annual basis during its first decade of existence.
- 151 billion: The number of circulation coins alone the United States Mint struck and shipped in 2015.
- 4: The number of former US Mint facilities. The Charlotte Mint (North Carolina) operated from 1838 to 1861 producing only gold coins from local deposits. The Dahlonega Mint (Georgia) operated during the same stretch, for the same reason. Both closed due to the Civil War, and never reopened. The New Orleans Mint (Louisiana) operated from 1838 to 1909, but closed from 1861 to 1879 during the Civil War and Reconstruction. The Carson City Mint (Nevada) operated from 1870 to 1893 and processed only silver from local deposits.
- 1: The number of US Mint facilities ever opened outside the continental United States. The Manila Mint was opened in 1920 in the then-US colony of the Philippines. It struck only coins for the colony, operating from 1920 to 1922, and again from 1925 to 1941.
- 5: The number of current US Mint locations. The four active coining facilities of San Francisco, Denver, Philadelphia, and West Point, as well as the US bullion depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Celebrating 224 Years of Minting History
The United States Mint is celebrating the legacy of its role in American history with the release of the United States Mint Birthday Collection. This grouping of coins consists of four different offerings from various series, including many that numismatists are already extremely familiar with. It includes the following:
- Mark Twain 2016 Proof Silver Dollar: Available only in 2016, it is produced by the Philadelphia Mint with a maximum mintage of 350,000 coins and celebrates Twain’s literary and educational contributions to the nation.
- America the Beautiful Quarters 2016 Silver Proof Set: The popular America the Beautiful series rolls into its 7th year of production with five new designs honoring national parks, forests, and monuments from across the US. Each coin consists of 5 troy oz of .999 fine silver and is available as a proof specimen. Represented states include Illinois, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia, and South Carolina.
- American Gold Eagle 2016 Proof Coin: Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the American Eagle with a stunning proof version of the nation’s official gold bullion coin. The obverse bears the beloved image of Liberty created in 1907 by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
- National Park Service 2016 Proof Silver Dollar: The National Park Service of the United States was established 100 years ago in 1916, and the US Mint is celebrating with a distinct program of National Park Service Centennial coins.
National Coin Week
April not only marks the 224th anniversary of the United States Mint’s founding, but it also includes the celebration of National Coin Week in the US. From April 17th to the 23rd, the American Numismatic Association has chosen a theme for 2016 entitled Portraits of Liberty: Icon of Freedom as part of the 93rd annual National Coin Week celebration. The celebration focuses on the depiction of Liberty across three popular US coin designs from the nation’s past, and includes the following:
- Mercury Dime: This 10-cent coin was in production from 1916 to 1945 at the United States Mint. Designed by famed artist Adolph A. Weinman, this left-profile portrait of Liberty with a winged cap reminded many of the Roman god Mercury and his Phrygian cap. It remains one of the most popular historic coins from the US Mint.
- Standing Liberty Quarter: Produced by the US Mint from 1916 to 1930, it featured the image of Liberty that depicted her as the Goddess of Liberty, and showed her standing the gap between two walls bearing the inscriptions “In God…We Trust” on either side. Designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil, this popular coin was part of a series of Liberty designs that emerged from the mint in 1916.
- Walking Liberty Half Dollar: Along with Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ 1907 depiction of Liberty, this creation from Adolph A. Weinman is among the most coveted and beloved designs from the United States Mint. Weinman’s Walking Liberty featured on the half-dollar coin from 1916 to 1947 and showed Liberty draped in the American flag as she walked toward the setting sun.
Each of these coins holds a special place in American history, and proves a rightful inclusion in the National Coin Week’s theme of Portraits of Liberty. The Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, and Walking Liberty half dollar replaced designs from US Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber that had been in use dating back to 1895.
In the case of many of these coins, you can find these designs available on the original products in the JM Bullion online catalog of available products. For those who cannot find the originals, you’ll find the Walking Liberty design proudly displayed on the annual American Silver Eagle coin series from the United States Mint. These coins are available in bullion, proof, and burnished versions dating back to 1986 on JM Bullion.
Other Happenings to Watch For in April 2016
In addition to special celebrations, numismatists everywhere can expect the release of some of the most coveted coins in the US Mint’s annual release cycle. The Proof Set 2016 coins are available the first of the month, followed by ATB Cumberland Gap National Historical Park coins (rolls and bags) on the 4th, American Eagle 2016 1 oz Gold Burnished coins on April 7th, and a special Mercury Dime 2016 Centennial Gold Coin on April 21st.
With each passing week, check back to the JM Bullion blog for more informational posts on product releases and guidelines to celebrations and other important events.
