An Exclusive Interview with Former United States Mint Director David J. Ryder

By Louis Golino

Asset Marketing Services, LLC (AMS), one of the largest direct-to-consumer retailers of collectible coins, announces that David J. Ryder, the former Director of the United States Mint, will advise the company on an exclusive basis.

Ryder will assist AMS exclusively with developing marketing and educational content, creating new collectibles and entering new international markets for its brands : GovMint.com, MCM (or ModernCoinMart) and LPM. Learn more about this exciting development here!

When he returned to the helm of the Mint in 2018, Ryder sought to shake things up and challenge the status quo. He did that in part by revitalizing the coin design process and the artistic quality of American coinage, which included expanding the Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) of outside artists who work with the Mint. He also appointed Joseph Menna as the 13th Chief Engraver after remaining vacant for almost a decade following John Mercanti’s retirement in 2010.

A key element of Ryder’s legacy is the new reverse designs on American Silver and Gold Eagles. This design change was the first in 35 years and arguably one of the most important design changes in modern Mint history that will appear on hundreds of millions of coins – that would not have happened without his leadership. Those designs have been warmly embraced by collectors, helping to inject new enthusiasm in those venerable coin series.

In addition, Ryder helped develop a wide range of innovative numismatic products such as the first colorized coins as part of the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame coin program; the first curved 5-ounce silver Proof coin for the Apollo11 5th anniversary that won coin of the year in 2021; the first American Liberty gold coins that feature a depiction of Liberty that is not an allegorical image of a female; and by working with foreign mints in Canada and the United Kingdom to issue numismatic products with them. Ryder also notably oversaw the inclusion of the first ever privy mark on a quarter. To honor the 75^th anniversary of the end of World War II, in 2020, a limited amount of circulating quarters from the West Point Mint carried a special “V75” privy mark on their obverse.  

He also worked with the U.S. Congress on the legislation that created the new American Women quarters program, another on youth sports, and a special coin to mark the 250th anniversary of    the nation’s founding in 1776 – programs that should help to increase the number of collectors.

Ryder also helped bring in over 100,000 new Mint customers and turn around the Mint’s financial performance with near-record bullion coin sales and sales of numismatic products. In 2021 alone, Ryder helped the United States Mint gain more that $5.4 billion in revenue.

He also helmed the Mint during the first pandemic in a century, minimizing disruptions and facility closures while other Mints struggled to keep operating and ramping up production of circulation coinage to address the shortage created by the pandemic. In both 2020 and 2021, the United States Mint authorized several, limited production runs of Silver Eagles at different branches of the Mint that do not typically strike bullion pieces. This decision not only helped keep up with customer demand in the face of the pandemic related production delays, but also resulted in a special, “Emergency Production” pedigree from NGC.

What follows is a brief interview for this article about his recent tenure as Mint Director.

Interview with David J. Ryder

1.) What was the main reason you resigned from your position as Director of the United States Mint on September 24, 2021 (effective October 1, 2021)?

“As a Presidential appointee, I was appointed by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. Mint Director, and I was confirmed to the position by the United States Senate. As such, I served at the pleasure of the President. Each new administration has the right to appoint their own political appointees.”

“Even though I was appointed with a 5-year term, the Biden administration chose to appoint their own person into the position. I was asked to stay on for several months to assist with the transition, but I chose to resign my position and move on.”

“I had a wonderful and talented Mint staff of experts who helped me achieve a good amount of success in my 3.5 years on the job.”

2.) What do you feel were your most important accomplishments during your recent tenure as Director?

“Keeping the Mint open for business and the employees safe during the Covid-19 crisis. Overseeing the implementation and issuance of the following U.S. Mint products:

• 2020 End of World Ward II 75th Anniversary coin with the privy mark
• The new American Eagle Liberty Gold and Silver redesign coins
• The new Anti-Counterfeiting features for the Gold and Silver Eagles
• The 2021 American Liberty High Relief Bucking Bronco coin and medal
• The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020
• The reintroduction of the 2021 Morgan and Peace Silver Dollar coins
• The Coin and Chronicles Set honoring former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush
• The partnership between the Royal Canadian Mint and the U.S. Mint with the introduction of the Pride of Two Nations two-coin set, as well as the partnership between the British Royal Mint and the introduction of the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage Two-Coin Gold and Silver sets.

As well as the introduction of several Commemorative Coin programs including:

• Breast Cancer Awareness
• The World War I Centennial Silver Dollar
• The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
• The American Legion 100th Anniversary
• The Women’s Suffrage Centennial of 2020
• The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame, which featured the U.S. Mint’s first colorized coins
• The Christa McAuliffe silver dollar
• The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum.”

“I feel these U.S. Mint coin programs helped reinvigorate the coin collecting community, while creating a strong secondary coin collecting market that has attracted new important Mint customers back into the coin collecting hobby.”

3.) What are the key changes and improvements you believe the Mint should make to best serve its customers in the future?

“Keep improving the Mint’s customers service, as well as continue the Mint’s growth by introducing new and exciting coin programs that attract new young collectors to the coin collecting community.”

4.) What are your own plans for the future professionally? Will you continue to be involved in numismatics in some way?

“I am very excited to have joined the Certified Collectables Group as one of their newest signers, as well as recently joining the Asset Marketing Services organization. I also plan on staying involved by contributing to the numismatic community.”

David J. Ryder is a former U.S. Mint Director and paid consultant to GovMint.com, and the views and opinions Mr. Ryder expresses do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the U.S. Treasury or U.S. government, or GovMint.com.