Denver Mint
Encyclopedia
The Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint
that struck its first coins on February 1, 1906. The mint is still operating and producing coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coin
s. Coins produced at the Denver Mint bear a D mint mark
(not to be confused with the mark of the Dahlonega Mint
). The Denver Mint is the single largest producer of coins in the world.
. During the Pikes Peak
Gold Rush, they coined gold dust brought from the gold fields by the miners. For almost three years, they minted gold coins (1860–61) and ingots (1862). They were formally bought by the US Treasury
in 1863.
Established by an Act of Congress
on April 21, 1862, the United States Mint at Denver opened for business in late 1863 as a United States Assay Office
. Operations began in the facilities of Clark, Gruber and Company, located at 16th and Market Streets and acquired by the government for $25,000.
Unlike Clark, Gruber and Company, though, the Denver plant performed no coinage of gold
as first intended. One reason given by the Director of the Mint for the lack of coinage at Denver was, "... the hostility of the Indian tribes along the routes, doubtless instigated by rebel emissaries (there being a Civil War
) and bad white men."
Gold and nuggets brought to there by miners from the surrounding area were accepted by the Assay Office for melting, assaying, and stamping of cast gold bar
s. The bars were then returned to the depositors as imparted bars stamped with the weight and fineness of the gold. Most of the gold came from the rich beds of placer gold found in the streams and first discovered in 1858, the same year Denver was founded.
When the supply of gold was exhausted from the streams
, the emphasis turned to lode
mining, uncovering veins of ore with a high percentage of gold
and silver
. By 1859, the yearly value of the gold and silver deposited at the Assay Office was over $5.6 million. During its early years as an Assay Office, the Denver plant was the city's most substantial structure.
The United States Treasury did not expand its smelting and refining operations at the same rate as the discovery and production of gold. In 1872 a group of businessmen led by Judge Hiram Bond
(formerly one of the largest brokers on the New York Gold Exchange
), Joseph Miner and Denver Mayor Joseph E. Bates
set up a firm Denver Smelting and Refining Works which built an independent complementary plant which processed ore into ingots which were then assayed, weighed and stamped by the Denver Mint.
There was new hope for branch mint status when Congress
provided for the establishment of a mint at Denver for gold and silver coin production. The site for the new mint at West Colfax
and Delaware streets was purchased on April 22, 1896, for approximately $60,000. Construction began in 1897.
Appropriations to complete and equip the plant were insufficient, and the transfer of assay operations to the new building were delayed until September 1, 1904. Coinage operations finally began in February 1906, advancing the status of the Denver facility to Branch Mint. In addition, before the new machinery to be used at the Mint was installed for use, it was first sent to the St. Louis Exposition
of 1904 for display. Silver coins were minted in Denver for the first time in 1906. During the first year, 167 million coins were produced, including $20 gold (double eagle
) coins, $10 gold (eagle) coins, $5 gold (half eagle) coins, and assorted denominations of silver coins.
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
that struck its first coins on February 1, 1906. The mint is still operating and producing coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coin
Commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
s. Coins produced at the Denver Mint bear a D mint mark
Mint mark
A mint mark is an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced.-History:Mint marks were first developed to locate a problem. If a coin was underweight, or overweight, the mint mark would immediately tell where the coin was minted, and the problem could be located and fixed...
(not to be confused with the mark of the Dahlonega Mint
Dahlonega Mint
The Dahlonega Mint was a branch of the United States Mint. It was located at 34°31.8′N 83°59.2′W at Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia. Coins produced at the Dahlonega Mint bear the "D" mint mark. That mint mark is used today by the Denver Mint, which opened many years after the Dahlonega Mint...
). The Denver Mint is the single largest producer of coins in the world.
History
The predecessors of the Denver Mint were the men of Clark, Gruber and CompanyClark, Gruber and Company
Clark, Gruber and Co. was the first official mint in Colorado. It was later bought by the United States Mint and turned into the Denver Mint....
. During the Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
Gold Rush, they coined gold dust brought from the gold fields by the miners. For almost three years, they minted gold coins (1860–61) and ingots (1862). They were formally bought by the US Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
in 1863.
Established by an Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
on April 21, 1862, the United States Mint at Denver opened for business in late 1863 as a United States Assay Office
Assay office
Assay offices are institutions set up to assay precious metals, in order to protect consumers. Upon successful completion of an assay, Assay offices are institutions set up to assay (test the purity of) precious metals, in order to protect consumers. Upon successful completion of an assay, Assay...
. Operations began in the facilities of Clark, Gruber and Company, located at 16th and Market Streets and acquired by the government for $25,000.
Unlike Clark, Gruber and Company, though, the Denver plant performed no coinage of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
as first intended. One reason given by the Director of the Mint for the lack of coinage at Denver was, "... the hostility of the Indian tribes along the routes, doubtless instigated by rebel emissaries (there being a Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
) and bad white men."
Gold and nuggets brought to there by miners from the surrounding area were accepted by the Assay Office for melting, assaying, and stamping of cast gold bar
Gold bar
A gold bar is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping....
s. The bars were then returned to the depositors as imparted bars stamped with the weight and fineness of the gold. Most of the gold came from the rich beds of placer gold found in the streams and first discovered in 1858, the same year Denver was founded.
When the supply of gold was exhausted from the streams
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
, the emphasis turned to lode
Lode
In geology, a lode is a deposit of metalliferous ore that fills or is embedded in a fissure in a rock formation or a vein of ore that is deposited or embedded between layers of rock....
mining, uncovering veins of ore with a high percentage of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
. By 1859, the yearly value of the gold and silver deposited at the Assay Office was over $5.6 million. During its early years as an Assay Office, the Denver plant was the city's most substantial structure.
The United States Treasury did not expand its smelting and refining operations at the same rate as the discovery and production of gold. In 1872 a group of businessmen led by Judge Hiram Bond
Judge Hiram Bond
Judge Hiram Bond was born in 1838 in Farmersville, Cattaraugus County, New York and died in Seattle in 1906. He was a corporate lawyer, investment banker and an investor in various businesses including gold mining. He was the son of Hiram Bond M.D. and Almeda Slusser and was married to Laura Ann...
(formerly one of the largest brokers on the New York Gold Exchange
New York Gold Exchange
The New York Gold Exchange was an exchange formed near the beginning of the Civil War for the purpose of creating an open market for transactions involving gold and the government-created paper currency, the greenback...
), Joseph Miner and Denver Mayor Joseph E. Bates
Joseph E. Bates
Joseph E. Bates was brought up in Muskegon County, Michigan and moved to Denver, Colorado in 1860 where he became involved in working for various businesses. He became active in city politics being elected a city councillor in 1868...
set up a firm Denver Smelting and Refining Works which built an independent complementary plant which processed ore into ingots which were then assayed, weighed and stamped by the Denver Mint.
There was new hope for branch mint status when Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
provided for the establishment of a mint at Denver for gold and silver coin production. The site for the new mint at West Colfax
Colfax Avenue
Colfax Avenue is the main street that runs east–west through the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area in Colorado. As U.S. Highway 40, it was one of two principal highways serving Denver before the Interstate Highway System was constructed. In the local street system, it lies 15 blocks north of the zero...
and Delaware streets was purchased on April 22, 1896, for approximately $60,000. Construction began in 1897.
Appropriations to complete and equip the plant were insufficient, and the transfer of assay operations to the new building were delayed until September 1, 1904. Coinage operations finally began in February 1906, advancing the status of the Denver facility to Branch Mint. In addition, before the new machinery to be used at the Mint was installed for use, it was first sent to the St. Louis Exposition
St. Louis Exposition
St. Louis Exposition can refer to either:*Saint Louis Exposition *Louisiana Purchase Exposition...
of 1904 for display. Silver coins were minted in Denver for the first time in 1906. During the first year, 167 million coins were produced, including $20 gold (double eagle
Double Eagle
A Double Eagle is a gold coin of the United States with a denomination of $20. . The coins are made from a 90% gold and 10% copper alloy....
) coins, $10 gold (eagle) coins, $5 gold (half eagle) coins, and assorted denominations of silver coins.
The mint in popular culture
- The Denver Mint is featured in the 1993 Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
film CliffhangerCliffhanger (film)Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a mountain climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains...
, as the production point of the money stolen in the film, and the departure point for the plane. - The rock group Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
mentions the mint in the title of their song Lucky Denver Mint.