The Carson City Mint was a

branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...

of the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bull ...

Carson City, Nevada Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,63 ...

. It primarily minted

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

coins A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

; however, it also minted gold coins, with a total face value in dollars nearly equal to that of its silver coins. The mint minted coins in 21 different years. The Carson City Mint was created in 1863 but was not put into operation until 1870. It ran until 1885, went on a hiatus, and resumed operations in 1889, after which it ran until 1893, when it closed permanently. It is now the

Nevada State Museum, Carson City The Nevada State Museum in Carson City, Nevada, Carson City is one of seven Nevada State Museums operated by the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The primary building of the museum is the former Carson City Mint. The exhibits inc ...

History

Built at the peak of the silver boom conveniently near a local silver mine, 50 issues of silver coins and 57 issues of gold coins minted here between 1870 and 1893 bore the "CC"

mint mark A mint mark is a letter, symbol or an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced. It is distinct from a mintmaster mark, the mark of the mintmaster. History Mint marks were first developed to locate a problem. If a co ...

. The mint was established in Carson City to facilitate minting of silver coins from silver in the

Comstock Lode The Comstock Lode is a lode of silver ore located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range in Virginia City, Nevada (then western Utah Territory), which was the first major discovery of silver ore in the U ...

, much as the San Francisco Mint was established to facilitate minting gold coins from the gold of the

California gold rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. From 1895 to 1933, the building served as the U.S. Assay Office for gold and silver. The federal government sold the building to the state of Nevada in 1939. Coins struck here, especially Morgan dollars, are generally rare and command a high premium among collectors. The building that housed the mint was the first designed by Alfred B. Mullett after becoming Supervising Architect of the Department of the Treasury. The construction supervisor was Abraham Curry, also known as the "Father of Carson City." Curry served as the first superintendent of the mint until 1870 when fellow commissioner Henry Freeman Rice assumed the office. The simple

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

Revival-style stone facade has pairs of round-headed windows and a center

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

. It is now the home of the

Nevada State Museum Nevada State Museum may refer to: * Nevada State Museum, Carson City * Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas {{disambig ...

. Although the mint has not struck United States coins since 1893, Coin Press No. 1 (the original coin press from the mint) is still in the building and used to strike commemorative medallions with the "CC" mint mark. The most recent of these are medallions commemorating the 75th anniversary of the museum.

Proposed commemorative coin production

On July 16, 2019, a bill was introduced proposing to strike commemorative Morgan and Peace dollars on the premises of the Nevada State Museum in 2021. If passed, the coins will feature the "CC" mint mark, becoming the first legal tender coins to do so in 128 years. Aside from adding a new date to both the Morgan and Peace dollar series, it would be the first time the Peace dollar is struck with the mint mark. The bill has received support from many coin collectors, with the American Numismatic Association encouraging collectors to express their support. However, some collectors have voiced their concerns about the mintage limit of 500,000 pieces. Though 2021 Morgan commemorative dollars were struck with a 'CC' privy mark, they were not struck at the former Carson City Mint.

Denominations minted

Silver denominations

: Seated Liberty dime (1871–1878) : Twenty-cent piece (1875–76) : Seated Liberty quarter (1870–1878) : Seated Liberty half dollar (1870–1878) : Seated Liberty dollar (1870–1873) : Trade dollar (1873–1878) : Morgan dollar (1878–1885 and 1889-1893) Note: A Seated Liberty dollar was the first coin to be struck at Carson City.

Gold denominations

: Half eagle or $5.00 gold (1870–1884 and 1890–1893) : Eagle or $10.00 gold (1870–1884 and 1890–1893) : Double eagle or $20.00 gold (1870–1879, 1882-1885, and 1889–1893)

References

External links

U.S. Mint

National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

* {{s-end United States Mint Buildings and structures in Carson City, Nevada Mints of the United States Industrial buildings completed in 1870 Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Nevada National Register of Historic Places in Carson City, Nevada Nevada State Register of Historic Places Nevada historical markers Historic American Buildings Survey in Nevada 1870s architecture in the United States Alfred B. Mullett buildings Neoclassical architecture in Nevada 1870 establishments in Nevada