Why did the New Orleans Mint use the "O" mintmark??

RB1026 · February 4, 2010 2:26AM

OK....my 8 year old daughter and budding young numismatist asked me this very question the other night and I had no good answer. Considering the other mints used their first letters and even Carson City used both first letters, why would New Orleans be represented by an "O" and not a "N" or better yet "NO"?? For that matter, why isn't West Point designated as "WP"?? Any historians around here know a factually based answer? If not, conjecture is welcome.

I'll confess, I've been collecting coins for 30+ years and NEVER even thought about it. Thinking I am going to let my daughter take over purchasing too as she is the "thinker" in the family. LOL

Roger

CaptHenway · February 4, 2010 2:28AM

Don't forget "SF"

messydesk · February 4, 2010 2:40AM

I'd have to think "NO" stamped on a coin would cause unnecessary consternation among the public. I can't think of why "N" was avoided, unless they were looking forward to a branch mint in another "N" city or didn't have confidence that a mintmark punch engraver would be able to make an N that would read correctly as a mintmark.

Carson City was also known simply as Carson, I think. Someone recently bought a mint bag labeled as such and showed it here. Using a single "C" less than 10 years after the mint in Charlotte closed was probably seen as a bad idea.

pakasmom · February 4, 2010 2:51AM

Yoo Hoo! calling RWB, calling RWB!

OKbustchaser · February 4, 2010 2:52AM

During the 1810 to 1830 period there was a strong influx of Americans (mostly German and Irish immigrants) into New Orleans. As a result of conflict with the French residents (who responded by dividing the city with a canal still known as the French Quarter) there was a push to simply call the city Orleans. Quite a few contemporary letters refer to the city this way. My guess would be that this was recognized by the mint and thus the letter O.

As for CC for Carson City--there was no such place. The name of the town was simply Carson. The CC was used to diferentiate from C for Charlotte.

Edit to add a necessary word.

AUandAG · February 4, 2010 3:20AM

Abe Curry intended Carson City to be called Carson City in 1858 when he was making plans for
surveying same.
I think some of you are confusing Carson County which was organized in 1855. The two are not
the same. Different locations. Carson City is in Ormsby County (now Carson City County) and Eagle Valley.
Genoa, the first settlement was located in Carson Valley which bacame Carson County (later changed
to Douglas County).

So, Carson City has always been Carson City. 1858
Carson County, where Genoa is, is now Douglas County. 1855
Ormsby County, where Carson City is, is now Carson City (two gov'ts merged).

I believe this is true.

Now, to answer the question. New in New Orleans is descriptive. So Orleans is the proper name
and thus the "O" and not the "NO".

bob

Coinosaurus · February 4, 2010 3:59AM

Because an "O" punch is easier to make than an "N" punch?

Blackborder · February 4, 2010 4:02AM

<< <i>

As for CC for Carson City--there was no such place. The name of the town was simply Carson. The CC was used to diferentiate from C for Charlotte. >>

Charlotte mint had been closed for 9 years by then.

stinkinlincoln · February 4, 2010 4:35AM

Good question. I often wonder about really obvious things myself... Most people dont find humor in it though. I guess its different when ytoure 8 years old huh?

RWB · February 4, 2010 4:49AM

Simplicity, a desire to avoid confusion, and an interest in keeping coins uncluttered with various marks, as were common on European coins.

As for “CC.” It didn’t matter that Charlotte had been closed for a decade, the mint wanted no possible confusion. Additionally, Congress was discussing the idea of reopening Charlotte (but not Dahlonega). [The village in Nevada was nearly always referred to as “Carson” and “the Mint at Carson” in US Mint documents.]

Longacre · February 4, 2010 4:56AM

Board member DaveG is probably licking his chops at this question. I look forward to his response.

DaveG · February 4, 2010 9:47AM

Actually, all I have to add is that the legislation that authorized the three southern mints said that it was up to the Mint Director (of the Philadelphia Mint) to determine how the branch mint coins would be distinguished.

CaptHenway · February 4, 2010 9:53AM

So, why "S" instead of "F" or "SF"?

Elcontador · February 4, 2010 10:43AM

When you have employees like Boudreau and Thibideau, you need to keep things as simple as possible. It's no coincidence that the Nawlins coins are noted for having inferior strikes compared to their counterparts at Philadelphia, San Francisco, etc. You do the best you can with whom / what you have to work with.

AUandAG · February 4, 2010 11:17AM

<< <i>So, why "S" instead of "F" or "SF"? >>

Good point Tom. Since Frisco was so popular why not just an F.

bob

farthing · February 4, 2010 12:19PM

At least the workers couldn't punch O upside down!

You can find any number of European coins with retrograde N's and other letters punched by workers who couldn't keep track of which way the punch should be placed.

The same could also be said for the S - hard to really screw up the punching of that letter also.

collegecoincollector · February 4, 2010 12:37PM

When the mint was completed I'm pretty sure that New York and New Orleans were the two biggest cities in the country at the time (even if they weren't the biggest in population they generated the most money and business for our young country). I'd bet that New York didn't want the "N" to be used, so maybe that's why? Good question though and I'm looking forward to the answer....someone here should know.

claychaser · February 7, 2010 1:09PM

This is a really great question!

Could it be that the mintmarks would just too wierd? Imagine this with a "N" instead of an "O", or even better yet, a "NO":

claychaser · February 7, 2010 1:17PM

And, here's one closer to the opening date:

SNMAN · February 7, 2010 2:07PM

<< <i>And, here's one closer to the opening date:

>>

ricko · February 7, 2010 9:08PM

So far, I will stick with RWB's answer. Cheers, RickO

Planchet · February 7, 2010 9:33PM

On March 3, 1835 Andrew Jackson sign the bill passed by Congress that established three branch mints, New Orleans, Louisiana, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dahlonega, Georgia. The law provided that the Director of the Mint prescribe regulations for identifying the coins stamped at each institution. When told of the new law, Samuel Moore, the Director of the US Mint said "Oh" and that's how the mint mark was chosen.

anoldgoat · February 7, 2010 11:59PM

notwilight · February 8, 2010 12:07AM

<< <i>So, why "S" instead of "F" or "SF"? >>

My guess is the mint directors didn't speak Spanish. "New" is obviously a modifier. "San" didn't mean anything to them. --Jerry

Why did the New Orleans Mint use the "O" mintmark??

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Why did the New Orleans Mint use the &quot;O&quot; mintmark??

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Why did the New Orleans Mint use the "O" mintmark??