The United States Mint - Philadelphia
The United States Mint is one of the most popular buildings to visit in Philadelphia. It is a treat you must not miss when you are in the area. The Mint is situated right in the heart of downtown Philadelphia and easy to get to from any nearby destination. It is a part of American history that extends back to 1792 when the original Mint office was the first public building ever constructed.
Collectors see it as the Mecca of numismatics because here is where many of their treasures were conceived. For many years it was the only place where coinage for the entire nation was made. There have been several mint buildings in Philadelphia over the years. The current edifice, the fourth, was started in 1965 right at the time when silver was being withdrawn from U. S. coinage. It was also a time when gold coins were no longer legal for private citizens to own, and when dimes and quarter-dollars were being made of a clad composition. Half everywhere and included in most standard coin catalogs.
When the new facility went into full production in 1967 it was believed that the Philadelphia Mint could meet all the coinage needs of the country for the next quarter century or longer. The prediction proved to be quite accurate, but not without implementing constant improvements, innovations and a much enlarged branch facility in Denver, Colorado. A new facility was also constructed in West Point in 1984 and more coinage shifted to San Francisco from time to time. In retrospect, the size and capabilities of the Philadelphia Mint were right on target when it was designed in 1965, and it had the ability to expand and keep up with growing needs ever since.
The billions of coins produced each year in Philadelphia and Denver are staggering and call for some sophisticated equipment unlike any other manufacturing operation. A tour of the Philadelphia Mint reveals how they manage to produce millions of individual coins each day, keep track of every one of them and insure that quality control is always at maximum. It is rare for even a single mismade coin to find its way into circulation and rarer still for any of their coins or dies to turn up missing.
In recent years the mint has been adapted to coin not only those pieces needed for daily circulation, but also a wide assortment of other coins for investors and collectors. At least three or four commemorative coins are now produced each
year in both Uncirculated and Proof, bullion coins are made in gold, silver and platinum, and sets of coins are made in
both regular metals and silver for collectors. The Statehood quarter alone is a manufacturing nightmare that would stagger most commercial enterprises yet the mint produced new designs every 10 weeks.
To speed up production the new mint purchases many of its coin blanks from outside vendors. In the past they made all of their own blanks, but this system is efficient and saves time and money. Most of the mints operate 24/7 and the
equipment never shuts down. The technology and efficiency of this giant operation never fails to impress anyone who sees the presses at work. Making money is big business. Seeing it happen should be high on your list of places to visit.
For tour information, visit the United States Mint website.
Grow The Hobby Now To Insure A Solid Future For Coin Collecting
There are probably millions of people who would become coin collectors if given the chance. For some, that will never happen, but others could easily take up the hobby if they only were exposed to the thrill of finding unusual coins in their change. Drawing attention to coin collecting can be a rewarding endeavor for all those who pass the word along to beginners. Welcoming newcomers is also a self-serving means of insuring there will be plenty of active collectors still around when it is time to sell your collection.
I do not advocate talking about coins at every opportunity. That can be both boring and a security risk. A much better alternative is to subtly encourage others to take a closer look at the money they use in daily commerce. Most people do not ever think about the coins they spend. Money is all the same to them. They need to be reminded that there can be many different kinds of coins in circulation that should be carefully scrutinized.
2000 Sacagawea Dollar
We can all do our part in passing this interest along by spending some of those unusual coins that are of no use to us. Sacagawea dollars are available at most banks, as are $2 dollar bills, Statehood quarters and an occasional half-dollar. You will find it is really fun to spend these oddities because they almost always evoke a degree of interest from the recipient. “I am going to save this” is a frequently heard remark, while others ask if these are new or foreign coins. Encouraging everyone to spend Sacagawea dollars will save the government millions of dollars and bring favorable attention to the hobby.
What could be better than that?