UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HISTORY OF THE MINTS.
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AT THE THIRD SESSION.
Begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, on Monday the sixth day of December, one thousand seven hun red and ninety. RESOLVED by ike SENATE and HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That a mint shall be established under such regulations as shall be directed by law. Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to cause to be engaged, such principal artists as shall be necessary to carry the preceding resolution into effect, and to stipulate the terms and conditions of their service, and also to cause to be produced such apparatus as
shall be requisite for the same purpose.
FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
JOHN ADAMS,
Vice- President of the United States and President of the Senate.
Approved March the third, 1791.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, President of the United States.
DEPOSITED among the ROLLS in the OFFICE OF THE SECRETABY OF STATE.
TH : JEFFERSON, Secretary of State.
A lot of ground was purchased on Seventh street opposite Filbert street, between Market and Arch streets, in Philadelphia, Pa., occupied at that time by an old still-house and a frame tenement building.* Washington appointed, on the first day of July, 1791, David Rittenhouse to be the Director of the Mint. A code of laws for the government of the Mint was enacted on the 2d of April, 1792. The foundation of the first Mint of the United States was laid on Thursday, the 31st day of July, 1792, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, by David Rittenhouse.
As soon as the ceremony of laying the corner-stone was accomplished, the work upon the foundation commenced. The foundation was completed, ready for the superstructure, on Saturday, the 25th day of August, 1792, and the framework was raised in the afternoon of that day.
The coin-presses, three in number, were imported from abroad and arrived at the mint on Friday, the 21st day of September, 1792, were put in operation the 9th day of October following, and first used for striking the pattern half-dimes of 1792.
The first purchase of copper by the United States government was made on Tuesday, the llth day of September, 1792, and comprised six pounds of old copper.
The first deposit of silver bullion for coinage took place on the 18th day of July, 1794. The deposit was made by the Bank of Maryland, and consisted of coins of France amounting to $80,715.73.
The first return of silver coins from the chief coiner to the treasurer was made on the 15th day of October, 1794, and comprised $1,758.
The first deposit of gold bullion for coinage at the United States Mint took place on the 12th day of February, 1795.
The deposit was made by Moses Brown, merchant of Boston, Mass., and consisted of gold ingots amounting to 2,276.22.
The first return of gold coins from the chief coiner was on the 31st day of July, 1795, and consisted of 744 half-eagles.
The first delivery of Eagles was on the 22d day of September, 1795, and consisted of 400 pieces.
As the population and trade of the Colonies had increased, foreign gold and silver had been introduced and had become a part of the circulating medium. These were chiefly the Guinea, the Joe and its half, the Doubloon and Pistole, in gold ; the Mexican Dollar and its parts, the Pistareen and its parts, and the British Shilling and Six-pence in silver. French Crowns were not known until the Revolution, when they became common. But of the specie currency no piece was so well known as the Spanish Dollar, which, as already noted, became, by the act of Congress in 1785, the effective standard or unit of our moneys.
The Pound of the Colonies was at first the same as the Pound Sterling of England, being simply a money of account.
THE MINT IN PHILADELPHIA, PA.
On the 19th day of May, 1828, Congress approved an act locating the United States Mint at its present site on Chestnut street in the city of Philadelphia, and in 1829-1830 the provisions of the law were carried into effect.
This Mint commenced operations in 1838, and at the present day, with its improved machinery and appendages, is as complete and efficient as can be desired. A valuable collection of over 8,000 coins of the different nations is also kept there on exhibition. The coins minted in Philadelphia bear no Mintmark. This Mint commenced operation in 1832. The building was made fire-proof, 1853-1856.
THE MINT IN CHARLOTTE, N. C.
By Act of Congress, March 3d, 1835, a Mint was ordered to be erected at Charlotte, in Mecklenburg county, N. C., for the coinage of gold only. The Mint-mark of the Charlotte Mint is the letter "C," which appears on all the coins minted there. Since 1862 no coinage has been done there, and by Act of Congress in 1873, it was transformed from a regular Mint to an assay office. This Mint was built in 1836-1837, and commenced operation in1838; burned down in 1844, was re-built in 1845-1846.
THE MINT IN DAHLONEGA, GA.
The discovery of gold in California, and the events of war in 1862 in Georgia, induced the United States Government to close this Mint.
On all coinages of the Dahlonega Mint the initial "D" appears as a Mint-mark, on the Obverse of the coin. The first coinage of gold at this Mint was made in 1838.
THE MINT IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.
On the 3d of March, 1835, a supplementary Act was passed and approved for the establishment of a Branch Mint in New Orleans, La. This Mint commenced operation in 1838.
This Mint is also furnished with the latest improvements for the coinage of gold and silver. The initial of the New Orleans Mint, "O," is on all of this Mint's coinages.
The Carson City Mint is provided with the latest improvements for the mintage of money. On all the coinages of this Mint the initials " C. C." appear as a Mint-mark.
On the 4th day of July, 1864, a bill was passed and approved for the establishment of a Mint at Dalles City, in Oregon, for the coinage of gold and silver money.
On the 2 day of April, 1862, Congress ordered an assay office at De-iver, Colorado. A building was purchased in 1863, and operations commenced in 1864. This establishment was styled a Mint, in the Coinage Act of 1873. This Mint is in operation at the present time.
THE MINT IN SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
In July, 1852, an Act was passed and approved for the establishment of a Branch Mint in San Francisco, Cal., for the coinage of gold and silver money.
Having been established since the discovery of gold in California, and the vast prod action of precious metals on the Pacific slope, the Mint at San Francisco, which commenced operation in 1854, has, since the legalized suspension of specie payments in 1861, and up to the full resumption of the same in 1878, coined much the greater part of all the vast sums of gold and silver money minted in the United States, which never ceased to circulate in the far West, and along the shore of the Pacific Ocean. This Mint provided about twenty-nine millions of Trade Dollars for export to China and Japan, and in 1875 was doing about four-fifths of all the coinage of the United States.
On all coinages of the San Francisco Mint, the initial "S" appears as a Mint-mark, generally on the Obverse, but sometimes on the Reverse of the coins.