Page 2 - Mints Around the World

By Louis Golino   Following the success of the five 2019 West Point national parks quarters last year, which helped increase interest in collecting coins from circulation, the U.S. Mint has announced that it will issue 2020 quarters with a “W” mint mark. However, this year something special is being added to those five limited-issue U.S. Mint quarters – a special V75 privy mark on the obverse. The privy mark, which is part of the master die for the coins, reads “V75” within an outline of the rainbow pool of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC and denotes the 75th anniversary of the allied victory in World War II. It will appear to the left of President Washington’s profile in the center of the left side of the obverse. While these are the second U.S. coins to feature a privy mark after the American Innovation dollars, they will be the first United States Mint quarters to sport a privy mark. Privy marks historically have been grouped with mint marks…

By Louis Golino Towards the end of the summer of 2019, with little fanfare the United States Mint added a product to its product schedule, a second 2019-dated Enhanced Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle following the one issued on July 3 as part of the U.S.-Canada Pride of Two Nations set. That set included a 2019-W Enhanced Reverse Proof Silver Eagle – the first coin ever issued with that finish, which has “the same frosted background as a standard Reverse Proof, but different design element finishes.” In particular, the Enhanced Reverse Proof “has the same frosted background as a reverse proof coin, but what sets it apart are the multiple polished and frosted finishes applied to different isolated design elements. The selective polishing and frosting dramatically enhances the visual impact of the design,” according to the United States Mint. When the U.S Mint first added the second coin of this type to its schedule slated for a November 14 release, collectors did not…

By Sean McConeghy The Royal Canadian Mint's Peace Dollar Updated 11/12/2020 World War I was one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. It also happened to be among the first wars that was brought home to those not on the frontlines through photos and videos. The entire world celebrated peace when it finally ended. The U.S Mint got in on the festivities with Anthony de Francisci’s Peace Dollar, which made its debut in 1921. 99 years later, Canada issued a Peace Dollar of its own that was inspired by de Francisci’s design. The first Canada Peace Dollar followed the 2019 Peace and Liberty medal on which the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) collaborated with former U.S Mint Chief Engraver, John Mercanti. Celebrating values cherished by the two countries, it consisted of a Peace design by retired RCM Senior Engraver Susan Taylor and a Liberty design by Mercanti. Following the Peace and Liberty Medal, the RCM released the first-ever 2020 Canada Peace Dollar in the fall of 2019. …

By Louis Golino On August 15 the U.S. Mint will begin accepting orders for the latest products in its American Liberty series of $100, 1 oz. high relief gold coins and accompanying silver medals, which for the first time will also be struck in high-relief and have a weight of 2.5 ounces. 2019 American Liberty Obverse The obverse design for both products features a left-facing profile of Liberty with flowing hair wearing a headdress with 13 rays of light, designed to symbolize the American people’s free and creative spirit. “LIBERTY” is inscribed over the rays, and the field between the rays will have a different finish than the rest of the obverse design. The design evokes the headdress on the $10 Indian gold coin issued from 1907 to 1933. Below the portrait of Liberty is the inscription, “IN GOD WE TRUST,” while to its left is the year of issue, “2019” and to the right are 13 five-pointed stars. Below the date is “W” for the West Point Mint, where the gold…

By Louis Golino This year American coin collectors will be able to celebrate July 4 – the day of American independence – with a new, limited-edition two-coin set that will be released the day before.  Canadians will also have a great way to mark Canada Day -- the July 1 holiday that used to be called Dominion Day. That is when the country became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. Called Pride of Two Nations, the set is the first-ever joint numismatic release between the United States Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint. It will commemorate their legacy of close relations and longstanding friendship as well as the rich history of both nations with a set that will include the first-ever enhanced Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle and first-ever Silver Maple Leaf with a Modified Proof finish. The U.S. Mint has set a mintage and product limit of 100,000 sets and a household limit of 5 sets,…

The West Point Mint was built during the Great Depression in 1937 and opened its doors as the West Point Bullion Depository the following year. It was nicknamed “The Fort Knox of Silver” because it was built to store silver. The mint has a fascinating history, including half a century prior to its designation as an official US Mint. Today, it produces some of America’s most important bullion and collectable coinage as it continues to add to its rich numismatic tradition. Humble Origins and Beyond One of the most important chapters in the mint’s history was written during World War II. The Lend-Lease Act, which passed in 1941, permitted the President of the United States to provide military aid during World War II, including prior to the nation’s formal entry into the war. The West Point Mint ended up loaning silver not only to foreign nations but also to American industry and the Atomic Energy Commission in 1942. This proved vital to the Allied war efforts and provided…

By Sean McConeghy Humble Beginnings For most of the 1800s, the Perth Mint was a small, sleepy town in western Australia. That changed near the turn of the century thanks to the discovery of gold at Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. As mining exploded in the region, so too did Perth’s population. It rose from about 8,500 in 1881 to 61,000 in 1901. To respond to the increased demand, “Big John” Forrest lobbied for the opening of a new mint in Western Australia. He was chosen to lay the foundation stone for the mint in 1896. Three years later, the mint began its operations. At the time that it opened, Australia was under British control, and the Perth Mint became the third branch of the British Royal Mint. Other mints operated in Sydney and Melbourne, but they have since closed. For decades, the mint focused exclusively on minting gold coins. From 1899-1931, it produced over 106 million gold sovereigns and over 700,000 half sovereigns for use throughout the British Empire. When…

By Louis Golino On April 2, 2019, the U.S. Mint announced that for the first time ever it has struck quarter dollars with W-mint marks for the West Point Mint and that the coins will only be available in general circulation.  What’s more, only 2 million of each of the five 2019 quarters will be struck, a low number for a coin of this type, which has had an upwards of hundreds of millions struck in recent years. The first of these coins have already been produced and shipped by the Federal Reserve to banks and other financial institutions. They include both 2019-W Lowell National Historical Park and 2019-W American Memorial Park quarters, which should begin appearing in circulation within four to six weeks, according to the Mint. Those coins were randomly mixed into bags of quarters struck at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints and will not be available in any numismatic products or sold in bags and rolls as are the “P”, “D” and “S”-mint quarters. The other 2019-W…

The Philadelphia Mint is known as the “Mother Mint” because all dies for branch Mints are prepared there. It is also unique because with a few exceptions, Mint marks are excluded from coinage struck there. That’s because when the Mint first began striking coins, it was the only U.S. Mint and there was no need to provide a distinguishing mark to differentiate coins made there. When branch Mints were opened, they were given identifying marks or letters that served to denote their place of origin. Founding the Mint Even as the Colonial leaders were fighting for their independence from Great Britain, they realized that their new country would need a respected monetary system. So when the Constitution was written, it stated that “The Congress of the U.S. shall have the power to coin money.” On April 2, 1792, Congress created the U.S. Mint and authorized the construction of a Mint building in the nation’s capital, then located in Philadelphia. Not only…

Golden Dreams in the “Great American Desert” The territory of Colorado in the mid-1800s was a wild, untamed land where trappers, traders and Indians freely roamed the plains and mountains. Most Americans believed this territory to be part of the “Great American Desert.” But when gold was discovered near present-day Denver, miners by the thousands poured into the territory despite Indian claims that the land was theirs. Newspapers from border towns on the edges of the territory fanned the flames of gold fever. When news of a find reached the border towns, enterprising newspapers eagerly printed the stories and enlarged them out of proportion. The news spread East, growing as it went and by the time it reached the eastern states, headlines proclaimed miners had found the “New El Dorado.” Newspaper editors in those border towns knew that a westward migration meant prosperity since eager gold seekers would have to go through their towns to get to the…