Carson City Mint
United States historic place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Carson City Mint was a branch of the United States Mint in Carson City, Nevada. It primarily minted silver coins; however, it also minted gold coins, with a total face value in dollars nearly equal to that of its silver coins. Built at the peak of the silver boom conveniently near local silver mines, 50 issues of silver coins and 57 issues of gold coins minted here between 1870 and 1893 bore the "CC" mint mark. The facility minted coins in 21 (non-consecutive) years.
Carson City, Nevada
U.S. Mint | |
Carson City Mint at night | |
| Location | 600 N. Carson St. Carson City, Nevada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°10′03″N 119°46′02″W |
| Architect | Alfred Bult Mullett |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002127 |
| No. | 196 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 1975 |
The Carson City Mint was created in 1863 but was not put into operation until 1870. It ran until 1885, went on a hiatus, and resumed operations in 1889, after which it ran until 1893, when it closed permanently. It is now the Nevada State Museum, Carson City. Coins struck here, especially Morgan dollars, are generally rare and command a high premium among collectors.
History
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The United States Civil War had reduced the federal government's mintage capacity, and new facilities were needed to replace those lost in the south.[1] The mint was established in Carson City to facilitate minting of silver coins from silver in the Comstock Lode,[2] much as the San Francisco Mint was established to facilitate minting gold coins from the gold of the California gold rush.
The building that housed the mint was the first designed by Alfred B. Mullett after becoming Supervising Architect of the Department of the Treasury. The construction supervisor was Abraham Curry, also known as the "Father of Carson City." Curry served as the first superintendent of the mint until 1870 when fellow commissioner Harry Rice assumed the office.[3] The simple Renaissance Revival-style stone facade has pairs of round-headed windows and a center portico. At its peak, the mint employed 75 people.[4] Over its operational life, the mint produced over $50 million in gold and silver coinage, the final strikes taking place before June 1893.[4] Despite the original intent, most Comstock silver bypassed Carson City and was shipped to San Francisco for processing there.[5][2] After 1893, the building served as a bullion depository. It was further designated a U.S. Assay Office in 1899.[6][7] The federal government sold the building to the state of Nevada in 1939.
It is now the home of the Nevada State Museum. Although the mint has not struck United States coins since 1893, Coin Press No. 1 (the original coin press from the mint) is still in the building and used to strike commemorative medallions with the "CC" mint mark.[8] The most recent of these are medallions commemorating the 75th anniversary of the museum. The Museum contains displays about mint operations as well as the coin collections of Norman H. Biltz.[8]
Proposed commemorative coin production
On July 16, 2019, a bill was introduced proposing to strike commemorative Morgan and Peace dollars on the premises of the Nevada State Museum in 2021.[9] If it had passed, the coins would have featured the "CC" mint mark, becoming the first legal tender coins to do so in 128 years.[10] Aside from adding a new date to both the Morgan and Peace dollar series, it would have been the first time the Peace dollar was struck with the mint mark.
The bill received support from many coin collectors, with the American Numismatic Association encouraging collectors to express their support. However, some collectors voiced their concerns about the mintage limit of 500,000 pieces.[11]
Though 2021 Morgan commemorative dollars were struck with a "CC" privy mark, they were not struck at the former Carson City Mint.
Denominations minted
Silver denominations
- Seated Liberty dime (1871–1878)
- Twenty-cent piece (1875–76)
- Seated Liberty quarter (1870–1878)
- Seated Liberty half dollar (1870–1878)
- Seated Liberty dollar (1870–1873)
- Trade dollar (1873–1878)
- Morgan dollar (1878–1885 and 1889–1893)
Note: A Seated Liberty dollar was the first coin to be struck at Carson City.
Gold denominations
- Half eagle or $5.00 gold (1870–1884 and 1890–1893)
- Eagle or $10.00 gold (1870–1884 and 1890–1893)
- Double eagle or $20.00 gold (1870–1879, 1882–1885, and 1889–1893)[12][page needed]
