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| }}The '''United States Mint''' is a bureau of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]] responsible for producing [[coin]]age for the United States to conduct its [[trade]] and [[commerce]], as well as controlling the movement of [[bullion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://definitions.uslegal.com/u/united-states-mint/|title=United States Mint Law and Legal Definition {{!}} USLegal, Inc.|website=definitions.uslegal.com|access-date=2019-02-13}}</ref> The U.S. Mint is one of two U.S. agencies that manufactures physical money. The other is the [[Bureau of Engraving and Printing]], which prints paper currency. The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]], and [[West Point Mint|West Point]]. | | }}The '''United States Mint''' is a bureau of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]] responsible for producing [[coin]]age for the United States to conduct its [[trade]] and [[commerce]], as well as controlling the movement of [[bullion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://definitions.uslegal.com/u/united-states-mint/|title=United States Mint Law and Legal Definition {{!}} USLegal, Inc.|website=definitions.uslegal.com|access-date=2019-02-13}}</ref> The U.S. Mint is one of two U.S. agencies that manufactures physical money. The other is the [[Bureau of Engraving and Printing]], which prints paper currency. The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]], and [[West Point Mint|West Point]]. |
| ==History== | | ==History== |
| [[File:San Francisco-First US Branch Mint-1854.jpg|thumb|The First U.S. Branch Mint in California, which opened on April 3, 1854, is located at 608–619 Commercial Street in [[San Francisco]]. The building now houses the San Francisco Historical Society.]]The first authorization for the establishment of a mint in the United States was in a resolution of the [[Congress of the Confederation]] of February 21, 1782,<ref>Journals of the Continental Congress, vol. 22, pp. 86-87</ref> and the first general-circulation coin of the United States, the [[Fugio Cent|Fugio cent]], was produced in 1787 based on the [[Continental dollar]]. | | [[File:San Francisco-First US Branch Mint-1854.jpg|thumb|The First U.S. Branch Mint in California, which opened on April 3, 1854, is located at 608–619 Commercial Street in [[San Francisco]]. The building now houses the San Francisco Historical Society.]]The first authorization for the establishment of a mint in the United States was in a resolution of the Congress of the Confederation of February 21, 1782, and the first general-circulation coin of the United States, the Fugio cent, was produced in 1787 based on the Continental dollar. |
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| The current United States Mint was created by [[United States Congress|Congress]] with the [[Coinage Act of 1792]], and originally placed within the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. Per the terms of the Coinage Act, the first Mint building was in [[Philadelphia]], which was then the capital of the United States; it was the first building of the United States raised under the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]]. The mint's headquarters is a non-coin-producing facility in [[Washington D.C.]] It operates mint facilities in [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]], and [[West Point Mint|West Point, New York]], and a bullion depository at [[United States Bullion Depository|Fort Knox, Kentucky]]. Official Mints (Branches) were once also located in [[Carson City Mint|Carson City, Nevada]]; [[Charlotte Mint|Charlotte, North Carolina]]; [[Dahlonega Mint|Dahlonega, Georgia]]; [[New Orleans Mint|New Orleans, Louisiana]]; and in [[Manila Mint|Manila, in the Philippines]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=mint_facilities |title=The United States Mint · About Us |publisher=Usmint.gov |access-date=2011-12-28 |archive-date=2010-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129194724/http://usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=mint_facilities |url-status=dead }}</ref> | | The current United States Mint was created by [[United States Congress|Congress]] with the Coinage Act of 1792, and originally placed within the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. Per the terms of the Coinage Act, the first Mint building was in Philadelphia, which was then the capital of the United States; it was the first building of the United States raised under the Constitution. The mint's headquarters is a non-coin-producing facility in [[Washington D.C.]] It operates mint facilities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point, New York, and a bullion depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Official Mints (Branches) were once also located in Carson City, Nevada; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dahlonega, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and in Manila, in the Philippines. |
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| Originally part of the [[United States Department of State|State Department]], the Mint was made an independent agency in 1799.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.treasury.gov/about/history/Pages/usmint.aspx |title=About: United States Mint |publisher=treasury.gov |access-date=2013-02-19}}</ref> It converted [[precious metals]] into standard coin for anyone's account with no [[seigniorage]] charge beyond the [[refining]] costs. Under the [[Coinage Act of 1873]], the Mint became part of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]]. It was placed under the auspices of the [[Treasurer of the United States]] in 1981. [[Legal tender]] coins of today are minted solely for the Treasury's account. | | Originally part of the [[United States Department of State|State Department]], the Mint was made an independent agency in 1799. It converted precious metals into standard coin for anyone's account with no seigniorage charge beyond the refining costs. Under the Coinage Act of 1873, the Mint became part of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]]. It was placed under the auspices of the Treasurer of the United States in 1981. Legal tender coins of today are minted solely for the Treasury's account. |
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| The first [[Director of the United States Mint]] was renowned scientist [[David Rittenhouse]] from 1792 to 1795. The position is currently filled by [[Ventris Gibson]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hain-Kararakis |first=Phaedon |date=2019-02-13 |title=U.S Mint Leadership {{!}} U.S. Mint |url=https://www.usmint.gov/about/leadership |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=United States Mint |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Henry Voigt]] was the first Superintendent and Chief Coiner, and is credited with some of the first U.S. coin designs. Another important position at the Mint is that of [[Chief Engraver of the United States Mint|Chief Engraver]], which has been held by such men as [[Frank Gasparro]], [[William Barber (engraver)|William Barber]], [[Charles E. Barber]], [[James B. Longacre]], and [[Christian Gobrecht]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Sol |title=Chief Engravers of the U.S. Mint, Part 1: 1793-1917 |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/coins/soltaylor010508.html |website=scvhistory.com |publisher=|date = 5 January 2008}}</ref>[[File:First United States Mint (1904).jpg|thumb|First United States Mint (Philadelphia); photo from 1904]]The Mint has operated several [[Branch mint|branch facilities]] throughout the United States since the [[Philadelphia Mint]] opened in 1792, in a building known as "Ye Olde Mint". With the opening of branch mints came the need for [[mint mark]]s, an identifying feature on the coin to show its facility of origin. The first of these branch mints were the [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]] (1838–1861), [[Dahlonega, Georgia|Dahlonega]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] (1838–1861), and [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]] (1838–1909) branches.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Mints: History of the US Mints |url=https://www.littletoncoin.com/shop/US-Mints |website=littletoncoin.com |publisher=Littleton Coin Company, Inc. |access-date=26 November 2019}}</ref> Both the [[Charlotte Mint|Charlotte]] (C mint mark) and [[Dahlonega Mint|Dahlonega]] (D mint mark) Mints were opened to facilitate the conversion of local [[gold]] deposits into coinage, and minted only gold coins.<ref>{{cite web |title=CHARLOTTE COMPLETE TYPE SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1838-1861) |url=https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/type-sets-by-mint/charlotte-complete-type-set-circulation-strikes-1838-1861/18 |website=PCGS.com |publisher=Collectors Universe, Inc. |access-date=26 November 2019}}</ref> The [[American Civil War|Civil War]] closed both these facilities permanently. The [[New Orleans Mint]] (O mint mark) closed at the beginning of the Civil War (1861) and did not re-open until the end of [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]] in 1879. During its two stints as a minting facility, it produced both gold and silver coinage in eleven different denominations, though only ten denominations were ever minted there at one time (in 1851 silver [[Three-cent piece (U.S. coin)|three-cent pieces]], [[half dime]]s, [[Dime (U.S. coin)|dimes]], [[Quarter (U.S. coin)|quarters]], [[Half dollar (U.S. coin)|half dollars]], and gold [[United States dollar coin|dollars]], [[Quarter eagle|Quarter Eagle]]s, [[Half Eagle (U.S. coin)|half eagles]], [[Eagle (U.S. coin)|eagles]], and [[Double Eagle (U.S. coin)|double eagles]]). | | The first Director of the United States Mint was renowned scientist David Rittenhouse from 1792 to 1795. The position is currently filled by Ventris Gibson. Henry Voigt was the first Superintendent and Chief Coiner, and is credited with some of the first U.S. coin designs. Another important position at the Mint is that of Chief Engraver, which has been held by such men as Frank Gasparro, William Barber, Charles E. Barber, James B. Longacre, and Christian Gobrecht. |
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| A new branch facility was opened in [[Carson City, Nevada]], in 1870; it operated until 1893, with a three-year hiatus from 1886 to 1888. Like the Charlotte and Dahlonega branches, the [[Carson City Mint]] (CC mint mark) was opened to take advantage of local precious metal deposits, in this case, a large vein of [[silver]]. Though [[gold|gold coins]] were also produced there, no base metal coins were.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of the Carson City Mint |url=https://www.usmint.gov/news/inside-the-mint/history-of-carson-city-mint |website=usmint.gov |date=13 June 2016 |publisher=United States Mint |access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref>
| | File:First United States Mint (1904).jpg |
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| In 1911 the Mint had a female acting director, [[Margaret Kelly (civil servant)|Margaret Kelly]], at that point the highest paid woman on the government's payroll. She stated that women were paid equally within the bureau.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sundaymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/19110806-2-a.pdf|title=A Talk with Miss Margaret Kelly, Director of the U.S Mint|date=6 August 1911|work=The New York Times|access-date=6 August 2011|archive-date=21 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221102031/http://www.sundaymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/19110806-2-a.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| | First United States Mint (Philadelphia); photo from 1904 |
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| A branch of the U.S. mint ([[Manila Mint]]) was established in 1920 in [[Manila]] in the [[Philippines]], which was then a U.S. territory. To date, the Manila Mint is the only U.S. mint established outside the continental U.S. and was responsible for producing coins (one, five, ten, twenty and fifty [[centavo]] denominations). This branch was in production from 1920 to 1922, and then again from 1925 through 1941.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yeoman |first1=R. S. |last2=Bressett |first2=Kenneth |last3=Garrett |first3=Jeff |last4=Bowers |first4=Q. David |title=A Guide Book of United States Coins |date=2019 |publisher=Whitman Publishing |location=Pelham, Alabama}}</ref> Coins struck by this mint bear either the M mintmark (for Manila) or none at all, similar to the Philadelphia mint at the time.
| | The Mint has operated several branch facilities throughout the United States since the Philadelphia Mint opened in 1792, in a building known as "Ye Olde Mint". With the opening of branch mints came the need for mint marks, an identifying feature on the coin to show its facility of origin. The first of these branch mints were the Charlotte, [[North Carolina]] (1838–1861), Dahlonega, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] (1838–1861), and New Orleans, [[Louisiana]] (1838–1909) branches. Both the Charlotte (C mint mark) and Dahlonega (D mint mark) Mints were opened to facilitate the conversion of local gold deposits into coinage, and minted only gold coins. The Civil War closed both these facilities permanently. The New Orleans Mint (O mint mark) closed at the beginning of the Civil War (1861) and did not re-open until the end of Reconstruction in 1879. During its two stints as a minting facility, it produced both gold and silver coinage in eleven different denominations, though only ten denominations were ever minted there at one time (in 1851 silver three-cent pieces, half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and gold dollars, Quarter Eagles, half eagles, eagles, and double eagles). |
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| | A new branch facility was opened in Carson City, Nevada, in 1870; it operated until 1893, with a three-year hiatus from 1886 to 1888. Like the Charlotte and Dahlonega branches, the Carson City Mint (CC mint mark) was opened to take advantage of local precious metal deposits, in this case, a large vein of silver. Though gold coins were also produced there, no base metal coins were. |
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| | In 1911 the Mint had a female acting director, Margaret Kelly, at that point the highest paid woman on the government's payroll. She stated that women were paid equally within the bureau. |
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| A [[The Dalles Mint|branch mint]] in [[The Dalles]], [[Oregon]], was commissioned in 1864. Construction was halted in 1870, and the facility never produced any coins, although the building still stands.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=Collector Basics: The Dalles Mint never finished for U.S. Mint |url=https://www.coinworld.com/numismatic/the-dalles-mint-never-finished-for-u-s-mint.html |website=coinworld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref>
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| ==Current facilities== | | ==Current facilities== |
| There are four active coin-producing mints: [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]], and [[West Point Mint|West Point]]. | | There are four active coin-producing mints: [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]], and [[West Point Mint|West Point]]. |
