Help for my exhibit for this summers ANA - output of coining presses at the US Mint
FunwithMPL
Posts: 330 ✭✭✭
Does any know the output of the coining presses at the US Mint in 1909 till 1916 for Lincoln cents per hour.
I would like to know the out of just one press per hour.
Collector
0
Comments
I assume you are referring to business strike output?
Have you checked Mint Reports from say 1900 to 1925 to look for a figure typical for the era?
The toggle presses used by US Mints were generally rated at 80 to 250 pieces per minute by the early 20th century. Silver dollars were made at 80-120 per minute. Small coins, such as Lincoln cents, were likely run at the higher end of this range on small-size presses. Alloy and counting examinations were irregular for minor coinage, so record keeping was more limited than for silver and gold coins.
Here's something from 1941 - but the output is clearly far greater than anything from early in the century. I also have some Cashier's Daily Reports from the teens and 1920s showing $2,000 per day in cents or about 400 coins per minute - likely from two small presses.
(Caution - Cashier's Reports show only deliveries - not necessarily coins made per day. For cents, deliveries for consecutive days were probably daily production.)
PM me with your email and I'll send copies of what I have.
Note: the document above is total production for each denomination for the 6 months Jan. 1 through June 30, 1941, working 16 hour days and using the stated number of presses. Nothing here reports the output per press.
If we work the numbers backward for 1-cent coins, the minimum output per minute was 110 pieces - but that assumes 'perfect' operation over 6 months. Real per-press output was probably double that or near the 250/minute of operation range mentioned above.
Way to go @RogerB
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
Thank You Roger
Send me a PM with your email and I'll send you copies of several files that might be helpful. These will also allow you to formally substantiate the press production numbers you use in the exhibit. However, I do not have anything in the middle of the date range you wanted. Cashier's Daily Reports exist, but they are scattered through thousands of files and boxes.
Interesting... I knew RogerB would have information on this topic....surprising the output they were getting. Cheers, RickO