New Orleans Mint: Report of my visits: Part II
RYK
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Last weekend, I had an obligatory family trip to New Orleans. We had some free time on Friday afternoon, and my wife insisted that we take the kids for a stroll in the French Quarter. I obliged, knowing that I would break away, ASAP, and head for the Mint. As soon as we got there, I stated my intentions, and my six year old son, Jack, said he wanted to go, too. 
The building itself has been painted a deep reddish-brown and is on the edge of the French Quarter on Esplanade. When one enters, there is a desk immediately ahead where you check in and pay. Admission to the Mint Museum, run by the State of Louisisna is $5 and free for children. Immediately behind the desk, there are the artifacts and photographs of the old New Orleans US Mint. There are various scales, weights, bags, and machinery. Unfortunately, many of the artifacts were from the Philadelphia Mint from later in the nineteenth century as the Confederates needed the hardware for munition factories and moved all the original machinery out in 1861. The photographs showed life and times at the Mint in the 19th century. This part of the museum can be covered in 10 to 30 minutes.
Coins? There was a glass display demonstrating multiple coins struck in New Orleans allowing one to see obverse and reverse. Only 3 coins were gold, and all of these were common date, low-grade, and low-end for the grade. Silly me, but since I focus only on No Motto coinage, I always forget that Morgans were coined in New Orleans. Just like any coin show, there were more Morgans on display than anything else. A separate display had an 1861-O seated half in an ANACS slab with a Proof-60 grade. I did not know of such a coin and there was no explanation of the coin with the display. From speaking with Greg Lambousy, the Director of the museum, they are looking to acquire New Orleans coins for their permanent collection. The day I met him, he had just received the donation of an 1854-O $3, and he told me that he was getting an 1854-O $20 on loan. If anyone has an extra 1856-O $20 to donate, I am sure it would be appreciated.
We went upstairs where there was a permanent exhibit entitled (something like) "The Drinks of New Orleans", a fairly interesting display of the history of hard and soft drinks served in the city. There was also a travelling James Audobon exhibit, which my son and I both enjoyed. I am not sure how long the Audobon exhibit will be there. We had little time to explore the rest of the museum, but we did make it to the gift shop. The gift shop was also a coin shop, in which coin books (including the Breen Encyclopedia), Whitman folders, and overpriced well-worn New Orleans silver coins were offered for sale. I purchased some note cards with a picture of the Mint on them for myself and an Audobon bookmark booklet for my son. I was disappointed that there was no "History of the US Mint in New Orleans" type of book or booklet for sale. I guess one does not exist (note to DaveG: Start working on it.).
We rejoined my wife and daughter and enjoyed beignets while listening to music in Jackson Square.
The building itself has been painted a deep reddish-brown and is on the edge of the French Quarter on Esplanade. When one enters, there is a desk immediately ahead where you check in and pay. Admission to the Mint Museum, run by the State of Louisisna is $5 and free for children. Immediately behind the desk, there are the artifacts and photographs of the old New Orleans US Mint. There are various scales, weights, bags, and machinery. Unfortunately, many of the artifacts were from the Philadelphia Mint from later in the nineteenth century as the Confederates needed the hardware for munition factories and moved all the original machinery out in 1861. The photographs showed life and times at the Mint in the 19th century. This part of the museum can be covered in 10 to 30 minutes.
Coins? There was a glass display demonstrating multiple coins struck in New Orleans allowing one to see obverse and reverse. Only 3 coins were gold, and all of these were common date, low-grade, and low-end for the grade. Silly me, but since I focus only on No Motto coinage, I always forget that Morgans were coined in New Orleans. Just like any coin show, there were more Morgans on display than anything else. A separate display had an 1861-O seated half in an ANACS slab with a Proof-60 grade. I did not know of such a coin and there was no explanation of the coin with the display. From speaking with Greg Lambousy, the Director of the museum, they are looking to acquire New Orleans coins for their permanent collection. The day I met him, he had just received the donation of an 1854-O $3, and he told me that he was getting an 1854-O $20 on loan. If anyone has an extra 1856-O $20 to donate, I am sure it would be appreciated.
We went upstairs where there was a permanent exhibit entitled (something like) "The Drinks of New Orleans", a fairly interesting display of the history of hard and soft drinks served in the city. There was also a travelling James Audobon exhibit, which my son and I both enjoyed. I am not sure how long the Audobon exhibit will be there. We had little time to explore the rest of the museum, but we did make it to the gift shop. The gift shop was also a coin shop, in which coin books (including the Breen Encyclopedia), Whitman folders, and overpriced well-worn New Orleans silver coins were offered for sale. I purchased some note cards with a picture of the Mint on them for myself and an Audobon bookmark booklet for my son. I was disappointed that there was no "History of the US Mint in New Orleans" type of book or booklet for sale. I guess one does not exist (note to DaveG: Start working on it.).
We rejoined my wife and daughter and enjoyed beignets while listening to music in Jackson Square.
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Aerospace Structures Engineer
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
<< <i>Nice report Robert - too bad the coins were so skimpy - you'd think the mint would make some effort to replenish the holdings of the old mint. Thanks! >>
That's a nice thought....on the other hand, do you really think the local citizenry are up for a couple mil in taxes to build a first rate NO set? Didn't the proof 56-O $20 sell for half a mil alone?
Thanks for the enjoyable report!
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Here's an old coin press.
A photo of a photo of the coining process from ingot to coin.
A machine that can weigh 10 coins at a time, and send them down the appropriate chute... Underweight (bad), Correct weight, Overweight (off to be shaved)
A mechanical calculator.
I hope this isn't considered thread hijacking. It was too much of a coincidence to pass up.
<< <i>Overweight (off to be shaved) >>
How are coins "shaved?"
<< <i>It looks like Clark is getting ready to mint smoe restrikes.
<< <i>Overweight (off to be shaved) >>
How are coins "shaved?" >>
I'm not sure what part of the coin they shaved, but I did see a pic of the women working in the shaving room. Their aprons connected to to tablecloth, so nothing was ever lost. They only hired women for this job, but didn't mention why.