A Handbook to the Self-Guided Tour of - The United States Mint

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES MINTAT PHILADELPHIAYou are standing in the largest coin factory in the world – The United StatesMint at Philadelphia! Many of the coins you use every day are made righthere!The United States Mint was established in Philadelphia in 1792, and coinshave been continuously struck here for over 200 years. The United StatesMint is the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. In additionto circulating coins, the United States Mint also produces numismatic productsat four manufacturing sites across the country. Numismatic productsinclude commemorative coins; proof and uncirculated coins; silver, goldand platinum bullion coins; and Congressional Gold Medals. The UnitedStates Mint is also responsible for protecting our nation’s gold and silverreserves.During your self-guided tour of thePhiladelphia facility, you will learnabout our extraordinary history and seeour current coin design and manufacturingprocesses. Our exhibits, artifactsand David Rittenhouse Theater willhighlight coin making at the first UnitedStates Mint in colonial Philadelphia.Our interactive displays, videos andour very own skilled and proud staffwill demonstrate how today’s coinsare safely and efficiently made in theworld’s largest mint.We hope this brochure is not only helpful as you proceed through the publictour areas but also educational and informative.1

LOBBYLet’s Begin!Start your tour by using the Tour Map near the up escalator. There areseveral distinct areas for you to explore: The Lobby (first floor), theMezzanine and David Rittenhouse Theater (second floor or “NR” on theelevator), and the Gallery (third floor or “VG” on the elevator). Finish yourtour with a visit to our Gift Shop, where you can purchase mementos ofyour time spent here and perhaps begin your very own coin collection.The seven Tiffany glass mosaicsdisplayed on the lobby walls wereoriginally commissioned to celebratethe opening of third United States Mintbuilding in Philadelphia in 1901. Themosaics, designed and created by thefamous Tiffany Studios of New YorkCity, are made of iridescent glass andmother-of-pearl backed with metallicleaf. The cherubic children illustratethe ancient Roman coin making.The mosaics are truly a national treasure!Fast Fact: Did you know that the United States Mint has its very own policeforce? Well, we do! And it’s one of the oldest federal police forces in thenation. United States Mint police officers are responsible for protecting over$100 billion in Treasury and government assets, including the gold supply atFort Knox.Before you leave the lobby, be sure to visitthe Collector’s Corner. Marvel at some ofthe most beautiful coins ever created by theUnited States Mint. This special collectionincludes examples of our nation’s gold,commemorative, bullion and special issuecoins.When you visit the mezzanineon the second floor,you will learn more aboutthe history of the Mint andhow coins were first made inPhiladelphia 200 years ago!2

Fast Fact: The first Mintfacility was erected at 7thand Arch Streets, only 100yards from where you’restanding today. As theyoung nation grew, so didthe demand for coins andthe Mint quickly outgrewits original home. The currentMint, which openedon August 14, 1969, is thefourth in Philadelphia andis the largest, safest andmost efficient Mint in the world!Edward Lamasure’s painting“Ye Olde Mint”The United States Mint is an agency within the United States Departmentof the Treasury. The United States Mint operates six facilities across thenation, each performing unique functions. Current facilities include theheadquarters in Washington,DC; circulating and numismaticcoin production facilities inPhiladelphia, PA and Denver,CO; numismatic and bullioncoin production facilitiesin West Point, NY and SanFrancisco, CA; and the UnitedStates Bullion Depository atFort Knox, KY.Your next stop is The Gallery(third floor) where you willsee how coins are made - froman idea to legal tender.The first Mint building later becamea shop for wall paper, umbrellas andcigars. Photo c. 19084

THE GALLERYOur interactive, self-guided tour has been divided into color-coded areasto help you better understand the coin and medal making – or minting –process. At the start of the Gallery, look for a key with special images andcolors to help you distinguish the different coin design and manufacturingareas.5

ART – The striking of a coin begins withartistry and design.The coins you use every day are littlepieces of history in your pocket, andthey are also tiny works of art, carefullydesigned and sculpted by skilled artists.Elected and appointed officials, artistsand members of the public provide inputfor coin designs and participate on coindesign committees. But did you knowthat it takes an official act of Congressto create a coin? Here you will learn how coin legislation becomes a coindesign and a coin design becomes an actual coin. It’s intricate work – butwell worth the effort!Fast Fact: Current law mandates the following inscriptions appear on allcirculating coins: “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” “United States of America,”and “E Pluribus Unum,” as well as each coin’s denomination and the yearof issuance.DIE MAKING – THE DIE SHOP MAKES THE TOOLSTHAT STRIKE THE COINS.The die shop is where the tools thatmake the coins are cut, squeezed andshaped to perfection. Thousands of diesare created each year with painstakingprecision. Each die is exactly alike. Inthis section we will show you how wecreate thousands of working dies whichstrike millions of coins. Making perfectdies can be a complex process, but it’snecessary as every coin must be perfect or they won’t be accepted by vendingmachines. Plus every employee has pride in producing only the bestquality coins for our nation!6

BLANKING – In this department, roundblanks are punched out of metal stripsusing extreme force.You are now 40 feet above the factoryfloor! Let’s see how we make millionsof coins every day! The United StatesMint buys strips of metal made of copperand nickel which are about 13 incheswide and 1500 feet long – the length of fivefootball fields!The metal arrives as a giant coil thatweighs about 6000 pounds. The metalis fed through a blanking press, which islike a giant cookie-cutter, and punchesout round, plain-surfaced disks calledblanks. The leftover strip, called webbing,is chopped and recycled. Penny blankscome ready-made.ANNEALING & UPSETTING – This iswhere the blanks are prepared for striking.The blanks are heated in an annealingfurnace to soften the metal ofthe blank. They are then pouredthrough a huge washer and dryer.Finally, the shiny blanks are rolledthrough an upsetting mill. The millraises a smooth, hard edge aroundeach blank. This rim helps with thestriking process and also allows youto stack your coins. After spinningout of the upsetting mill, the blank iscalled a planchet.7

STRIKING – Striking is where the designis added to the planchet.Two dies – obverse and reverse – orheads and tails – are placed into thecoining press. The planchets travel tothe presses on an automated conveyor.And with one mighty strike, the designsfrom the steel dies are transferred tothe planchet creating a genuine UnitedStates coin – still warm to the touch!INSPECTING – This is where every coinmust be in “mint condition.”After striking, press operators usemagnifying glasses to spot-checkeach batch of new coins to be surethat they meet the Mint’s strict qualitystandards. If a flaw is spotted, all ofthe coins in the trap are scrapped andsent to a coin destruction machinecalled a waffler. All materials arerecycled.8

BAGGING – The finished coins are baggedfor their journey to the Federal ReserveBanks and into your pocket!After the coins have been inspected,they travel to the automated countingmachines. All coins, except for cents,are counted and poured into giant bulkbags. The filled bags are weighed –each bag weighs over one ton – sealedshut, loaded onto pallets and taken byforklift to the Mint’s vaults. New coinsare shipped to Federal Reserve Banksacross the nation. From there, thecoins go to your local bank!Fast Fact: Pennies are not individually counted by the United States Mint.They are bagged and shipped by weight.MEDALS AND COMMEMORATIVE COINSMaking numismatic products such ascommemorative coins and nationalmedals is similar to making circulatingcoins. However, each piece gets specialcare and handling.As authorized by Congress, the UnitedStates Mint strikes Congressional GoldMedals to honor those whose outstandingachievements have enrichedmankind or to commemorate significantevents, sites and organizations. The Congressional Gold Medal is presentedto the individual. Bronze replicas are struck for collectors.9

See the people and events that have shaped our history and future, and studythe beautiful artwork that highlights their triumphs. Indian Peace Medals,Presidential Medals and national medals were all struck at the United StatesMint at Philadelphia.Fast Fact: Did you know that medals spin but coins flip? To view the frontand back of a medal design, rotate it from side to side. A medal is often suspendedon a ribbon and placed on a recipient’s neck, and it makes sense toview the obverse and reverse images by turning the medal from side to side.To view the designs of a coin, rotate it from top to bottom.Women’s Airforce Service Pilots MedalNavajo Code TalkersMedalTuskegee AirmenMedal10

RECYCLINGThe United States Mint has been“green” for over two centuries! Since1792, all excess metal used in themaking of coins has been recycled.Even the webbing leftover fromblanking is shredded and returnedto the metal strip manufacturer to berecycled.Flawed coins and blanks are also recycled. They are crushed betweentwo high pressure rollers which impress a ridged pattern into the metal.“Waffled” pieces don’t have a denomination value and can be returned tothe manufacturer for recycling without a United States Mint Police escort.GIFT SHOPLocated in the lobby of the building, the gift shop offers United StatesMint coin sets, commemorative coins, numismatic collectables, books,games and United States Mint souvenirs. The telephone number for thegift shop is 215-408-0230.11

TOURSAll tours are free and self-guided; no reservations are necessary, even forlarge groups.• Visiting hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.The United States Mint offers weekend and holiday hours during thesummer; please call 215-408-0112 for summer tour information.• Photography, smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited on the tourroute. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, weapons andlarge packages.• All visitors are required to enter through a metal detector. For moreinformation, please call 215-408-0112.SPECIAL NEEDSThe United States Mint provides access for people with disabilities.Please indicate any special needs upon arrival or in advance by calling(215) 408-0110.United States Mint5th and Arch StreetsPhiladelphia, PA 19106-1886• For more information, please visit our website at www.usmint.gov.• To subscribe to United States Mint electronic product notifications,visit http://www.usmint.gov/email/?action=newsletters.• Sign up for RSS Feeds from the United States Mint and follow us onFacebook and Twitter.Thank you for visiting the United States Mint at Philadelphia! We hope youenjoyed your stay!12

www.usmint.gov1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468)Hours of OperationMonday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Open Saturdays and holidays during the summer.Please call 215-408-0112 for specificsummer/holiday tour information.Connecting America through Coins