I went to the Denver Mint last summer. It was great! The guide didn't know much but that was OK it was still fun. They were making cents when I was there.
What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics... ... "Fascinating, but not logical"
When I was an instructor at the ANA Summer Seminars back in the early 1980s, we used to get to take the students down on the coining floor with all of the equipment running around us. Was way cool. We got to handle dies and run our hands through hoppers of blanks, planchets and struck coins. They stopped letting us in there when one of the employees brought his wife and kids on the floor to see where Daddy worked and the supervisor said that was too dangerous. He said you let those people out on the floor, so the Mint stopped letting us on the floor. Tom D.
Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," due out late 2025.
Been to the philly Mint probably 6 or 7 years ago....the tour was less than impressive but I am still glad I went. Man did I have to pay a lot for Parking........wow
Taking two grandchildren to the Denver mint this summer. The youngest, just turned six, has started her own coin collection and knows which ones of mine she wants. She's very excited about going.
Still want to do Philadelphia, San Francisco, West Point, and then I will work on the branch mints. The mint visits add so much to the collecting experience...really gave me an appreciation for "O" MM's.
I've been to the Philly mint and the old S.F. Mint. The S.F. Mint was nothing but an empty building with a few old vaults. Very disappointing. I plan on seeing the Denver mint in August.
PCGS Currency: HOF 2013, Best Low Ball Set 2009-2014, 2016, 2018. Appreciation Award 2015, Best Showcase 2018, Numerous others.
Had a great time, the guide was an older fellow who really knew his stuff. Bought several items in the gift shop. They were minting pennies the day I was there as well.
No free samples though.
"Lenin is certainly right. There is no subtler or more severe means of overturning the existing basis of society(destroy capitalism) than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
I made my first trip to the Denver Mint in the '60's. I have not toured it since 9/11, but I make a trip to the Mint store once a year for proof sets and such.
Been to Denver, Philly Mints plus BEP in Washington D.C. Both Denver and Philly were pre 9/11, so they were both fun, not sure what the tours are like now?
Philadelphia back in 1976. That was back when they still had their own melting furnace, poured their own ingots for the cents and nickels and had their own strip rolling mills. Also had the advantage that the Eliasberg collection was there on loan. Got to see it up close and personal.
Toured Phily about 9 years ago that was fun. Took a random drive thru NY and found myself at West Point with the family whare I was politely informed we do not do tours. Very nice sights in that area.
Went to the Philly mint May of last year. Very disappointing.
They let you walk through a series of wide hallways with observation windows on each side and historical facts and figures presented on posters and plaques.
Most of the equipment I could see was idle. There were smoe area marked cents, nickels, etc.
They were making cents but we could only see from above as a conveyor bucket system transported the cents through the facility.
Smoe of the observation windows were blacked out so you could not see through them.
There was one room where various coins were displayed which was mildly interesting. Then there was the overpriced gift shop. Typical tourist trap stuff for the most part. Circulated type sets at Shop at Home TV prices and shredded money bags and U.S. Mint key fobs. Also the usual mint fare which you can buy online.
I was hoping to buy mint or souvenir sets but they were not being produced yet.
I've been to San Francisco, the one on 5th Street, Carson City, Denver, Philly, New Orleans, RCM in Ottawa. My favorite was CC...nice museum and coin display with one of all(?) CC's made. N.O. has a Jazz museum upstairs...actually very entertaining.
I've been to the Denver mint two or three times. Last time I enjoyed it even though the kids were bored. Walked through what was the New Orleans mint on my honeymoon. Not much there in 1994.
I live in New Orleans and hav ebeen to the mint here several times. I have also seen the Philiy mint many years ago. I have fond memories of it, but it has been 30 years ago.
I went to the Denver mint with my Wife Daughter and three grandchildren this past Thursday. There was not much going on on the floor, a few cent presses running, but the running dialog was interesting. Seems my seven year old grandson took it all in. We stopped by the gift shop after the tour. The older grandchildren picked up a few items, my granddaughter wanted a pesidential medal in a green case but had to settle for one in a blue case. Which president didn't seem to matter I fed the change machine which gave back Nevada quarters for the first dollar and 2001-D Sacs for anything over. My wife fed $1 bills so as to get a bunch of quarters. I fed $20 bill to get lots of Sacs
I visited the SF Mint in the early 80's and have been to the Denver Mint on multiple occasions. Took the tour twice and it looked about the same both times.
I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.
I've been to the old SF Mint when they still had an exhibit of old CA gold coins and $5 million in gold bars. I've been to P and to the BEP in DC. Never been to a federal reserve bank yet
Comments
Nope, I think people have been to the Philly Mint and been very disappointed at the access (Post 9/11).
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My "How I Started" columns
They stopped letting us in there when one of the employees brought his wife and kids on the floor to see where Daddy worked and the supervisor said that was too dangerous. He said you let those people out on the floor, so the Mint stopped letting us on the floor.
Tom D.
My family and I are going in a couple months. Was it worth the trip anyway ??
Freak
Just Philly and Carson City.
I've driven by the SF mint, but didn't go on the tour.
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Still want to do Philadelphia, San Francisco, West Point, and then I will work on the branch mints. The mint visits add so much to the collecting experience...really gave me an appreciation for "O" MM's.
<< <i>I've visited The Granite Lady...old SF mint....but not an operational facility
My family and I are going in a couple months. Was it worth the trip anyway ??
Freak >>
Not the Denver one.Set up for children,not adults.
Al
Had a great time, the guide was an older fellow who really knew his stuff. Bought several items in the gift shop. They were minting pennies the day I was there as well.
No free samples though.
John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
Tim
found myself at West Point with the family whare I was politely informed we do
not do tours.
TorinoCobra71
Philly
>>>My Collection
They let you walk through a series of wide hallways with observation windows on each side and historical facts and figures presented on posters and plaques.
Most of the equipment I could see was idle. There were smoe area marked cents, nickels, etc.
They were making cents but we could only see from above as a conveyor bucket system transported the cents through the facility.
Smoe of the observation windows were blacked out so you could not see through them.
There was one room where various coins were displayed which was mildly interesting. Then there was the overpriced gift shop. Typical tourist trap stuff for the most part. Circulated type sets at Shop at Home TV prices and shredded money bags and U.S. Mint key fobs. Also the usual mint fare which you can buy online.
I was hoping to buy mint or souvenir sets but they were not being produced yet.
Maybe I was expecting too much.
<< <i>I've visited The Granite Lady...old SF mint....but not an operational facility
My family and I are going in a couple months. Was it worth the trip anyway ??
Freak >>
The Old Mint in San Francisco has been closed for years and is still a couple of years away from reopening as a Gold Rush museum.
I went to the old SF Mint and Denver Mint about 25 years ago. At the time I thought it would be cool to get one of those penny stretching machines.
Obscurum per obscurius
I've been to the Denver mint two or three times. Last time I enjoyed it even though the kids were bored. Walked through what was the New Orleans mint on my honeymoon. Not much there in 1994.
Mercury
Denver's gift shop allowed me to poke through the souvenir sets.
Jeremy
Check my ebay BIN or Make Offers!!
W.C. Fields
I had gone quite a while back in the earlty 80's to Philly.....
If the Mint put out a tour like the Harley Davidson tour which could be possible it would be quite Amazing.......................................
The name is LEE!