United States MintMary Kate Trevisan

What is the United States Mint?• The United States Mint makes coins.• The Mint does not make paper money. • Its main task is to make sure the people of the

nation have enough coins to carry on daily business.

• In addition to coins used for money, the United States Mint also makes other coins and medals for collectors.

The United States Mint produces circulating coins in six denominations: one cent (penny), five cents (nickel), ten cents (dime), twenty-five cents (quarter dollar), fifty cents (half-dollar), and a one dollar coin.

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The United States Mint is part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Mint has five field sites: Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, West Point and Fort Knox. Actual coins are only minted in the Philadelphia and Denver locations.

The US Mint

Philadelphia, PA

151 North Independence Mall East Philadelphia, PA 19106

How are the coins made?The metal arrives at the mint in huge rolls. If

we unrolled them, one roll would be as long as five football fields!

Making coins is like making cookies. First, the metal is rolled flat like cookie dough.

Next, the machine called a blanking press punches out round blanks from the metal, just like a cookie cutter.

Leftover metal, called webbing, is recycled into more coins.

The blanks are heated in a red hot furnace to soften the metal. This step makes it easier to stamp words and pictures on them.

The hot blanks are then dropped into a quench tank, where a water and soap mixture cools them.

Next, the cleaned blanks move into one of the milling machines. These machines raise rims, or edges, of the blanks.

Finally, the blanks go into a stamping press and come out with words and pictures.

Once the coins are inspected, they are sent to the counting machines. The counting machines count the coins and drop them into big bags. The bags are sealed shut and carried by forklift to storage vaults.

History of US Mint in PhiladelphiaThe first U.S. Mint opened in 1792 at 7th and

Arch Streets, only two blocks from the current facility; it was the first new government structure in the new country.

George Washington, who lived nearby, was said to have donated his own silver to make some of the first coins.

The current building, opened in 1969, is the fourth Philadelphia Mint.

FUN FACTSA mint mark is added to some coins. It tells

where the coins were made. Coins made in Philadelphia have a “P” on them.

Some presses today can make 750 coins

every minute. More than 50 million coins are made or minted every 24 hours. The Philadelphia and Denver mints together produce more than 10 billion coins per year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do coins have raised edges?A: The raised edges, or rims, protect the

coins from scratches and make them easier to stack.

Q: What does “in mint condition” mean?

A: This is a term given to a coin that has been freshly made.

I would recommend touring the US Mint to my friends

I would recommend this to a friend because I thought it was interesting learning how coins are made!!

It is a complicated process that requires precise work and they do it all in our own backyard – Philadelphia.

Thank you!