San Francisco Mint: 1956-1967

cameron12x

Circulating coinage from San Francisco was suspended from 1956 through 1967.

Does anyone know the reason why?

CoinJunkie

Presumably because by then Denver had the capacity to mint enough coins for the entire Western US,
and the government wanted to save the money it cost to run a second facility. I don't know this for
a fact, however.

cameron12x

Bump for the day crew.

CaptHenway

<< <i>Presumably because by then Denver had the capacity to mint enough coins for the entire Western US,
and the government wanted to save the money it cost to run a second facility. I don't know this for
a fact, however. >>



That is the common theory, but I have never seen any documents from the Mint or the Treasury justifying it. FWIW even Denver did not need to strike any half dollars in 1955 and 1956.

We also had a new Mint Director coming in with the Eisenhower administration, after 20 years of Nellie Tayloe Ross, and perhaps the new Director wanted to clean house. Just speculation on my part.

Coinstudy

All I could find was that in 1962 the mint was downgraded to assayers office.Personally I think it involves the copper and silver but no way to prove it.

BillJones

I'm not sure how to word this, but it was my understanding that the lay out within the San Francisco mint was such that it was not an efficient operation. As I remember it, it had something to do with the length of the San Francisco building. The Philadelphia and Denver mints could produce coins for less money and were capable of producing enough coins to satisfy the demand.

This began unravel in 1964 when perceptions that the value of silver bullion was going to exceed $1.29 an ounce which would make it profitable to melt U.S. silver coinage. That speculation resulted in massive hoarding and coin shortages. The massive mintage of Kennedy half dollars, which did nothing for the economy because virtually all of them were hoarded, added to the problem. After that it became necessary to re-open the San Francisco mint (coins for circulation were made there without mint marks), and open a new facility in Philadelphia.

rec78

It was deemed unnecessary. I think that the equipment was old and the government did not want to update it.
The Special mint sets from 1965-1967 were minted in San Francisco.