History of America's Forgotten Mints

[@anncorsaro1895]

Thank you for mentioning the Mint in Charlotte NC. It's now, as you stated a museum. An art museum that holds various events and has wonderful fine art work, ceramic, and costume exhibitions and now has a modern art Mint Museum in "uptown" Charlotte. Iam originally from California and moved here in 1990. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we had a Gold Rush here too! Anyway, I sure enjoy your historical episodes and your commitment to showcasing those forgotten or unknown historical events.

[@Dixie_Texan]

Watching this video from Dahlonega GA, the mint is now the head administrative building of the University of North Georgia. Still in use!

[@Nipplator99999999999]

Thanks for this episode, it's nice to see something that contains local history. I'm part Cherokee living about 30 minutes away from Charlotte near a obsolete gold mine and have visited many of the locations mentioned.

[@danielwalker4881]

I am a Native Charlottean, I love the mention by the History Guy! The reason the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s, aka UNCC’s mascot is a 49er! Actually, the County was Cabarrus, present day Concord, NC not far from where the University sits, off US Highway 49. The former Mint in Charlotte houses the Mint Museum now, which was relocated, when the building was demolished to expand the post office next door.

[@jackmieoff6202]

I grew up at the base of Mt. Davidson and Virginia City, Nevada. I have prospected in Gold Canyon and Silver City. I have toured the Chollar Mine the only remnant of the the Comstock Lode that is still accessible to the public. Of course I have been through the Carson City mint several times and have several coins with the CC mint mark. There was also a huge stamp mill on the back side of Mt. Davidson that was called American Flats. You can still find Gold and Silver in the seasonal creeks and ravines around that area. Thanks again to THG for another outstanding short. Please support THG on Patreon as I will continue to do. I wear my shirt with pride!!!

[@williamdonnelly224]

Thanks!

[@johngalt2506]

The Carson City mint is a great museum. There are several good museums in Carson City. Virginia City is a cool place to visit as well.

[@diabolikmitchell2960]

Agree on all. History that deserves to be visited. After seeing Virginia City in person I found it hard to imagine 10, 000+ people living there at it's peak. Must have been lively to say the least.

[@johngalt2506]

@@diabolikmitchell2960 I lived there for a few years. It was a lot of fun.

[@magnificentfailure2390]

@@diabolikmitchell2960 My great-grandfather was there at the time. It's telling that he spoke much of his time spent getting to Virginia City and much of his time spent after he left there, but he never really had much to say about the place itself, and he made a regular shitload of money there. He sung the praises of Butte, Montana so well that three or four of his daughters made their way there, and he adored southern Arizona so well that my Mom grew up dreaming of it, but he never had much to say about Virginia City, except that it was where he made his fortune. He did say that the doughnuts were worth travelling twenty miles for. :D

[@lrodpeterson3046]

When I saw the coin rolling, the first thing that came to mind is that the actor, Val Kilmer can also do that. He makes a point of displaying the talent in many of his movie roles. Iceman in "Top Gun" and Doc Holliday in "Tombstone" are two that come to mind.

[@trescatorce9497]

yes, but someone before Val did it in a movie. Who?

[@LMacNeill]

And he did it in the movie Real Genius as well. 🙂

[@jeffreyshreve1277]

@@trescatorce9497 That would be W. C. Fields, I am sorry that I do not remember the movie but I also know that it co-starred Mae West.

[@davesilverman3325]

Lance, I own a Bechtler one dollar coin that I was fortunate to find at a good price at a coin and stamp show at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh where I live. I have a modest collection of early U.S. coins to include a number of Large Cents, Indian Head Pennies, Early Morgans, Walking Liberty Halves, etc., but by far my favorite and most prized is my Betchler gold dollar. When I've been between jobs I've spent a fair amount of time in Uwharrie National Forrest in the vicinity of Badin Lake in a creek called Little Moccasin Creek just north of the town of Troy, North Carolina, not far from the place you mentioned where Conrad Reed pulled that now famous nugget out of the creek on his father's farm that started the first gold rush in American history. There I've been successful in panning and sluicing enough gold to pay the bills, so much so that I've seriously considered going full time but the winters here, though not horrific are still cold enough that being in the water in waders would be difficult during that time of year so it's been a stop gap thing for me. The Reed Mine was for a time a very profitable venture and people came from all over the world to work it. It was operated continuously until gold was found at Sutter's Mill and everyone threw down their picks and shovels and ran off to California in 1849. Since that time there has been modest work in North Carolina but the yields have been prohibitive to commercial mining for gold in this area ever since for the most part. There have been a few exceptions, such as the Cotton Patch Mine in the Albamarl area, just west of the Reed Mine and though it was worked as recently as the early eighties, the main shaft flooded and modern pumps couldn't keep up with the inundation so a pit was started next to the main shaft and a tourist sluicing operation was started, selling buckets of salted material to would be "prospectors". The Reed Mine was the stuff of legend but it's said that thousands of patented claims were filed after the "door stop nugget" was found and that Charlotte was one huge dig. There were open pit mines littering the countryside from Ashboro to Charlotte and all points in between to this day but the majority of them are on private land and can't be accessed. When gold was found on the Reed farm the placer gold was so prevalent and the nuggets so large that the property was known as the "Potato Patch". Today the state of North Carolina owns the property and has the state's Gold Mining Museum located there. The museum is very interesting, indeed. For a small fee it's possible to see early mining equipment, such as stamping mills, drills, ore removal equipment and there's a hard rock shaft that's properly supported that goes several hundred feet below ground, complete with an amazing gold streak in the wall that can be observed on a guided tour by a Parks Department employee who'll give a comprehensive talk on the history of mining in the area. Today the North Carolina gold rush is almost forgotten and commercial mining here is pretty much a done deal but it's pretty amazing for a guy like me to be able to, with a minimal amount of equipment pull out enough of that shiny stuff to get by on and while I'm doing it I imagine that I may be in someone else's long forgotten hole that may have produced the very gold that was used to mint the coin that I turn over in my hand while I dream of a time when what I'm doing was a viable means of supporting one's self and a part of my state's history that I really love. Sorry I went so long but this was an awesome video. Thanks so much!

[@hambonethegreat9547]

I personally live in Charlotte and the Mint is a wonderful thing to see if you are ever in up town. It's not far from a few other historical sites as well and it was awsome to hear about somthing local from my favorite KZbin channel and The History Guy!

[@CBLounge2112]

I am born and raised in Carson City and have been here for 49 years, awesome to see some the incredible history of my hometown on The History Guy!!

[@britwokay8577]

Your videos are certainly worth a mint! Absolutely golden! Thanks, History Guy!

[@clarebutterfield6927]

I am glad you are around to teach us History!

[@michaelmccarthy4615]

Im familiar with the Carson City mint. When I was a kid (during the Nixon administration) the US government released for sale through silent bidding 1,000's of uncirculated Morgan silver dollars minted in Carson City. I had a small coin collection and my father helped by doing the paperwork and paying for the silver dollars we won at bid. We didn't get to choose which coins we were bidding on, they all have some surface scratches from the bags they were stored in together, but never circulated. I still dont recall how the government came apon this large discovery of unused CC marked silver dollars about 90 years later at the time. The dozen or so coins we acquired have various values today but they all are still housed in their individual original clear plastic case with a short note from Richard M. Nixon...

[@rogerdavies6226]

neat

[@sarjim4381]

Michael, the Carson City Mint dollars came from the Treasury Department. They were being held in reserve for those exchanging silver certificates for silver dollars. That's how I got started collecting them back in the late 50's. Hard to imagine now, but a common date silver dollar was worth exactly one dollar. Convertibility of silver certificates to silver dollars ended in 1964 as the price of silver was rising above the value of .77 ounces of silver in the dollar. Treasury still had almost 3,000 $1,000 face value bags of silver dollars in 1964, and this supply was shipped to the West Point (NY) Bullion Depository until a decision was made on how to dispose of the coins. The process started in 1970 when GSA employees, with the guidance of a committee of professional numismatists started separating the coins into grades from uncirculated to circulated. It was decided to offer these in mail bid sale in 1972 with a minimum bid of $30. Almost all were CC coins, and the date and quantity lists sent shockwave through the collecting community. Some of the most expensive date like the 1879 and 1882-1884 were considered rare because so few were available, and the assumption was most had been melted in great silver melts of the 1920's. In fact, they were rare because Treasury was holding enough of them to make it seem like so few were left. CC dollar prices collapsed almost overnight once the lists were released. Without knowing how many more of each date were left in the hoard, many collectors left the CC dollar collecting hobby in disgust. Bidding was much less than had been anticipated. Only 700,000 of the 1.7 million offered were sold. It took the rising price of silver, six more sales, and renewed collector interest before all the silver dollars were finally sold in 1980.

[@Mrlrobertson]

You have a Treasure indeed. Envious , LoL

[@michaelmccarthy4615]

@@sarjim4381 thank you for this information it makes total sense now... I was very young, but I do remember seeing the actual numbers minted and the price values did correlate somewhat. It was an early lesson in supply and demand. I guess the government was hoping enough novice collectors (like myself) could absorb these coins without regard to the collector market as a whole. It's a history lesson within a history lesson. Thanks!

[@sarjim4381]

@@michaelmccarthy4615 You're welcome. About 80% of the coins were sold to people for things like Christmas or birthday gifts. The vast majority of the coins were 1881-1885. They weren't rare, but were uncommon before the sale, and carried a pretty good premium. After the sale, they were dead common. Many serious collectors lost a bundle, especially those that paid a hefty price for the 1879 coin. As you say, a good lesson in supply and demand, especially when the real supply is unknown.

[@gregsimones9295]

As a long time coin collector, I found this illuminating. I knew much of the history but not all. Thanks.

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

The History Guy is Awesome and accurate.

[@jefferysmith3930]

I live in Charlotte and have been to the Mint Museum many times. I knew of the Reid gold mine but did not know it’s history. Thank you for another fascinating video

[@danielwalker4881]

Jeffery Smith You should visit the Reed’s Gold Mine. It’s the first Gold Mine in The United States, and a wonderful tour. You can also still pan for gold there, and might be lucky to find some gold flake!

[@snakeghost00]

I remember when I was a kid, going to the Carson city mint museum and the museum of natural history in the 1970's,both great places to visit.

[@-BigMike-]

It is still there and still a cool experience. I loved it.

[@kathrynradonich3982]

As a coin collector I was aware of all of these mints but had no idea how many of them were founded. Thanks for the awesome video as always.

[@douglasmaccullagh1267]

I congratulate you on your pronunciation of New Orleans. You almost sound like a local. Well done.

[@andrewinbody4301]

I say "New OrLeens." But I ain't from them there parts.

[@Arbiter099]

It's very weird to me hearing that pronunciation from a voice with HG's accent

[@moonmunster]

Nor-Lenz

[@derlinclaire1778]

Yes,a very good pronunciation of my birthplace,my dear sir.

[@davidharris6581]

Pronunciation was correct but it is still two words.

[@timsvtgen1]

How about an episode on Henry Ford’s Failed Fordlandia? Keep up the excellent work, History Guy.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Maybe. What has held me back is that there are precious few photos in the Public Domain.

[@timsvtgen1]

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered An excellent book was written by A.J. Baime on Fordlandia and in an interview ( I believe on NPR) he mentioned the archives at the Henry Ford in Dearborn as a major help. In any case, thanks!

[@JazznRealHipHop]

I was always fascinated by my dads metal detecting collection and volumes of books on coins and their history. Thanks as always history guy

[@johninwaynenewjersey5253]

As a bit of a coin collector I have always been interested in the history of American coinage. The coins you were holding at the end of the vid, the Eisenhower Dollars, were IMO the last 'great' coins minted and are among my faves. It amazes me how easy it is to this day to obtain uncirculated-condition Morgan Dollars comparatively cheap as they here hoarded extensively and huge hidden caches turn up occasionally. Anyways, thanks for another great video!

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

That's an interesting point. My father was a coin collector, which caused me to get pretty "calibrated", when grading coins. I just looked up Morgan Dollar values on the web: www.pcgs.com/prices/ And their "uncirculated" (50+), and even mint condition (65+) coins are valued much lower, than other coins of the same condition, and face value. Some, non-silver, Eisenhower Dollars are near the same value !

[@libertyresearch-iu4fy]

The Morgan dollars minted at Carson City are usually worth quite a bit more than average.

[@spookybass1966]

Excellent episode and awesome bow tie/ handkerchief set!

[@mykemech]

Awesome that you covered the North Carolina gold rush. I grew up and live 10 minutes from the Reed Mine. Most people don't know the story, even here among locals. These events are the reason Charlotte remains a financial center today, with several top banks having headquarters here.

[@jamesthomas2163]

Great Video. One minor correction, The Dahlonega mint building burned, the foundation was used for another building.

[@barbarachase5824]

Thank you for yet another factual and informative video..I love and appreciate your hunger for history, not to mention the time spent to bring these videos to us!

[@kentpurrington2645]

AMEN, THX

[@mikemiller1646]

Wonderful video. Coins are one of the most important tangible artifacts of the past. Might I suggest a video on Isaac Newton and his work as head of the British Mint and his role in fighting counterfeiting? Lots of intrigue, with perhaps the greatest mind that ever lived in disguise in a seedy East London bar. Just the type of topic you would enjoy.

[@redram5150]

One of my dad’s friends growing up was in charge of bill destruction at the Philly mint. I didn’t understand why anyone would destroy money at the young age he first told me this... probably five or six. In my mind this man burned perfectly good money in a barrel behind his home like a lunatic

[@JeffCounsil-rp4qv]

I guess he truly did have "money to burn" lol!

[@marbleman52]

Mr. H., You have demonstrated your verbal elocution and articulation as being top notch, but now you have demonstrated your prestidigitation skills as well...!! What next...?? I didn't know about these other private minters...very interesting.

[@drsonnysell4471]

Gratitude & Respect Professor!!

[@Genesis1313]

Great subject and great information. Thanks for all you do for your many fans!

[@douglasfrazier811]

Certainly this saga of the expansion and development of the Country should and due to historians such as you, is being remembered! time to add the channel to my patreons

[@bongobrandy6297]

I just learned of another reason for the Cherokee to have issues with Andrew Jackson. Makes perfect sense. Thank you.

[@rjladd2787]

You must do an amazing amount of research for each episode. My hat is off to you sir, good work!

[@BrassLock]

Fascinating stories, making me wonder about the history of Australia's 3 original Mints. Western Australia's original Mint opened for a similar reason during late 19th Century, (as were the ones built in U.S.), due to the Kalgoorlie gold rush. Others were built in Sydney and Melbourne but are now closed. Perth Mint is still very much an active part of the city as an ongoing producer of special gold coins (including the world's largest gold coin worth about $53 million), and ingots, as well as other more modern lower currency coins. It regularly holds the attention of visiting tourists both as a unique historical building and a modern production facility, recently upgraded and enlarged.

[@anonymoususer4937]

I appreciate how the endings of the videos are softer in volume. It makes for pleasant transitions.

[@W1se0ldg33zer]

Numismatist here - this pushes my buttons in all the right ways. Great stuff!

[@katjagolden893]

Thank you for doing what you do. Love your channel. I too love History. My grandfather who was a Colonel in WWII collected coins from around Europe. Not sure if he picked them off dead bodies or traded for the coins. He died 1 1/2yrs before I was born (1971)so I never got to ask him. My father who gave me them doesnt know either. I collect “Wheat pennies” and anything older than 1944 penny. P.S. I have always wondered about your military “hats” in the back over your shoulder. I have my Grandpa Golden’s American Army uniform and very proud of it. When my 16yr old was lil he would show his friends it. He was and is proud of his Grandfather (Vietnam) Great-Grandfather (WWII) & Great Great Grandfathers (WWI) for serving. I do know of my GG Grandfather who fought for the South (MO) in the Civil War. Pre-1915 everyone on my mothers side was still in Poland.

[@augustuswayne9676]

Love the video . I can't start my day with out the history guy !! You are very good at rolling a coin .

[@HoH]

The mint makes it first, it is up to you to make it last.

[@therenumerator9198]

Nice phrasing, and true.

[@HoH]

@@therenumerator9198 It is a quote by Evan Esar. He has some other very witty and spot-on quotes!

[@CallieMasters5000]

Yeah, and I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy. There's always a quote for something.

[@imastounded4376]

Callie Masters 🤣😂🤣

[@ludwigfan3013]

@@CallieMasters5000 I'll drink to that.

[@BlackPhoenix777]

You and your wife"s work is the best. Thank you both for this channel. I love history! It's just fascinating!

[@rickquist3992]

Thank you for posting this. I have fond memories of visiting the Carson City mint as a kid!

[@williamhill7312]

Great video, I've been to the New Orleans Mint Musem, back in the 80's they had a broad range of NOLA historic stuff including Louis Armstrong's horn.

[@TimPearcy]

Great stuff! Very, very interesting! Thanks!

[@mulematt6225]

Just wanted to say thank u, for all that u do. Love ur videos

[@davesr25]

Very much like the style of your videos, thank you for sharing and explaining things in a nice easy to digest way. :)

[@jessikainla]

You are a great orator. Thank you for all the awesome stories!

[@darkamora5123]

I must say I love your videos. I just recently discovered your channel, and I find your enthusiasm and passion for history to be a wonderful thing. You make what could be dry facts into compelling stories that hold my interest. That said I do have to correct one thing you said, sort of, really a pronunciation. In premodern English the plural of you, ye, is pronounced with a y sound, however when used as an article ( ie ye olde mint) the y is actually representative of a letter no longer used in English "þ" called a thorn. þe (the proper way to spell that word based on usage) is just the earliest spelling of the word " the" and pronounced the same way (as is the ye form).

[@OkamiiSenpai]

I dont know how you manage to stick to these daily uploads but its great!

[@makeitso4793]

Wonder if I should show this to some teachers I know so they can use this guys stuff in classes to teach the kids. I think they will get a kick out of this guy. I love to learn and this is a great channel.

[@caliblu3872]

I'm so grateful to have found your channel.

[@bobertbirkely]

This is a great video. Thank you for finding this information and sharing it!

[@charredskeleton]

Thank you so much for your videos. I really enjoy them.

[@004Black]

I loved this episode. I once sold a Carson City silver dollar for nearly a thousand bucks. They’re not so rare but rare enough. Thanks for your efforts pulling this together.

[@MrHondaguy1]

Great video History Guy. I live very close to Reeds Gold Mine. We took field trips there in school.

[@burbank3]

My grandfather worked at the mint in San Fransisco. When he passed, he left us quite a large collection of steel pennies produced by the mint during WWII.

[@1952creswell]

It's a shame he didn't leave you any copper pennies dated 1943. They are worth thousands of dollars.

[@artjones2498]

@@1952creswell are you serious tony....i have to look through my wheat pennies....for some reason i think i might have 2 or 3 1943' s in my collection.....thank you i did not know that

[@davidlogansr8007]

As a Very long time coin collector, approximately 55 years, I knew about all of these, but was pleased to hear about them on a Major Website!

[@leviwarren6222]

Being an Oregon resident, I immediately looked up info about the Dallas mint. It took a bit but I finally figured out that the mint in Oregon was in The Dalles, not Dallas. This is only really confusing because we also have a Dallas Oregon. Thanks for the awesome episode, History Guy!

[@robinj.9329]

THAT BOW TIE! It is grand! I hate to see a bunch of "cookie cutter" businessmen all in ties! One day you should tell us the "Dark History" of the neck tie! Folks will REALLY be shoked! But that bow tie, that's a keeper!

[@TheBBQify]

the history guy is pretty good at rolling coins in his fingers dang

[@leemaxwell1912]

What are his tells?

[@andrewinbody4301]

@@johnanon6938 I enjoy playing poker. I consider myself to be better than average. I would not bring more money than I could afford to lose if I were playing The History Guy.

[@marqsee7948]

@@leemaxwell1912 he tells a story, heh

[@andrewinbody4301]

@@leemaxwell1912 His bow tie twirls.

[@davidhovey5152]

You noticed that too?? Lol!!! 🤣

[@osirisandilio]

The Reed gold mine is still open, you can pan for gold yourself. Pretty cool piece of American history.

[@crackerjack9320]

Great episode HG! I've been to the Carson City mint. So interesting

[@corneliuspalahniuk345]

If anyone gets the chance take the Denver mint tour I've gone several times and has driven my love of coins love this video and glad that this history can be remembered

[@diggernash1]

Thank you for another great video! As a metal detectorist, many of these coins are on my bucket list. I live near Dahlonega and have always hoped to find a home minted gold coin. Better yet, a Templeton Reid private mint coin would be nice!

[@1TakoyakiStore]

On my father's side of the family we had a distant relative who's last name was Prevatt and had sold a substantial amount of cattle land to a gentleman named Sanford (for whom the Florida city of Sandford is named after). My grandmother being a genealogist eventually was able to obtain some of Prevatt's personal effects due to a death in the family. One of these was a state pressed Florida bill from Tallahassee. Your video reminded me of a particularly historical event in the family.

[@AxcelleratorT]

Very interesting! I collected "pennies" as a child. I rediscovered coin collecting as an adult and I'm now working on a US type collection. US cents are still my favorite. In researching the coins, I have learned a lot about the history of the country during the time they were being minted. It has been an enjoyable experience. Thanks for your videos.

[@Mr72Dolphins]

Hello. Can you please do a feature on Riggs Bank? It is the only private business to be on money ($10 bill), and they traditionally held the bank accounts of the Presidents. It has a fascinating history, and a massive fall. Thank you

[@DylanMcMullen]

Ooh I'm interested

[@rcknbob1]

IIRC, it was also said to be theCIA's favorite bank and was used when they set up Air America.

[@senator1295]

Sir, again, thank you for all your hard work..don't stress

[@herbertsusmann986]

Very good reporting on this topic! One very small nit pick, however: You said the San Francisco Mint made proof coins starting in 1965. Actually none of the mints made any proof coins in the years 1965, 1966, and 1967. They only made "Special Mint Sets" those years. Proofs started again in 1968 at San Francisco. Another tid bit of history is that in those three years there were no mint marks on any coins. An act of Congress banned mint marks to thwart collectors after the switchover to clad coinage from silver in 1965. This was repealed and in 1968 mint marks resumed with all 3 mints making circulating coins (P, D, S) and San Fran also making all the proofs.

[@maniyan_wanagi]

Thank you, History Guy!

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

I used to go to the Mint Museum often when I was a kid living in Charlotte in the early/mid 1970s. :-) My parents were volunteers there during the summer months, and thus we were there often. I have a lot of fond memories of the museum. :-)

[@marktaylor8659]

Great video on U.S. Coinage. Perhaps you can do a short segment on the 1883 V nickel that didn't have the word 'Cents' on the back. Some entrepreneurial folks plated them with gold and passed the five cent pieces off as $5 gold pieces. In 1884, the word 'Cents' was added to the back.

[@edwardkrivoniak7709]

The word CENTS was actually added later in 1883 after the crimes became known.

[@adoptcolorado6620]

Very interesting. I'm from Denver and this is new to me. Thanks so much.

[@williamjones2340]

I have been to reads gold mine. One can still do some panning there. Also there is s tour of the gold mine. There is also a couple of mines here in Stanly County in New London just west of Charlotte NC.

[@coyoteroadkill]

You will be happy to know The Dalles, Oregon half-finished mint has been renovated and is now the Erin Glenn Winery with a fancy wine bar. It is still proudly called The Mint Building even though it never minted one coin.

[@gavinelder3428]

Love your work and enthusiasm "History Guy". Do you have anything on the lost state of Franklin? Cheers

[@FourthRoot]

Forgotten mints are the best! Sometimes I find them later in my jacket pocket; it's better than finding money!

[@opheliabawles9646]

Coincidentally, that's almost an exact quote from one of the journals from the Donnor Party.

[@tindoortailgator]

Chocolate Mint is My Favorite...Just Sayin'

[@FourthRoot]

@@tindoortailgator even better than forgotten mints is forgotten 'ments, as in comments. I don't remember writing this, but it sure is funny. Thank you, past me, for making me laugh. Love, Future Me

[@brianwingo6472]

I agree with John Galt's comment below. I have been going to the Nevada State Museum in the old mint building for years. Of particular interest is the basement where they have simulated silver mine. There is also a great gun collection.

[@johnkelley9877]

What an interesting story! Thanks for sharing this.

[@amethystsamia]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@Michaelbos]

Outstanding as always.

[@davidhovey5152]

Truly enjoyed this episode! You mentioned West Point.. (W) mint mark... What is minted there?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

David Hovey West Point makes silver, gold and platinum proofs with the “W” mint mark.

[@davidhovey5152]

Thank you for your reply! History should be Remembered! I so absolutely agree! I love history!! Explains why your show is so awesome! 😁I met my british wife at a hardware store because of a register amount totalled 1066 which she laughed! I said oh! The Battle of Hastings??? One thing lead to another!!! I could not afford to finish college but... 😂

[@neilbain8736]

Fascinating stuff. I wonder how it works in the UK. I think we only have the Royal Mint in the UK to make our coins. It's one building and it's in Wales. I know a house where coins were forged: I'm not sure which side of WW2 though but I think the 1950's. The chap had a gable end with a gas street lamp fixed to his corner wall and a brilliant sense of irony. He plumbed into the gas pipe and ran his little furnace on the town's gas supply forging bobs, florins and half crowns ( 5p, 10p and 12.5p in today's decimal currency ). The house is still there, there is an electric light, but there's marks on the stonework where the gas lamp bracket was.

[@dewiz9596]

As usual, an other excellent bit of history!

[@jockellis]

Congratulations on pronouncing N’awlins correctly. NASCAR Star Bill Elliott’s Father George owned a collection of all coins produced in Dahlonega. The Georgia Dept. Of Natural Resources wanted to display the priceless collection at a state park. The governor gave permission for shoot-to-kill protection and the best shots of the state patrol and D R were stationed around the park and top officials of the DNR awaited the armored car that souls carry the coins as they waited they watched an old Ford pickup truck wend it’s way through the roads and stop in front of them. The driver - a teenaged boy - rolled down the window, held out a wooden box and said, “Granddaddy told me to bring this to you.” I got to see them at a meeting of the Dawson County Historical Society.

[@jojomama4787]

Thank you for this!I've been trying to tell folks the "trail of tears" was because gold was found in Cherokee land and greed took president over human rights but I seemed to have sparked such strong emotion people would rather come to blows than look at this fact...again,thanks for giving me a leg to stand on!!!

[@gregfair1749]

This is an awesome and very important part of our history!!!!!!

[@davidharris6581]

The BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING in Ft Worth is well worth the time to tour. You can learn a lot about the history of US Currency. You can also buy brand new money there including uncut currency sheets. They got tired of everyone who takes the tour making a joke about free samples so if you ask now they hand you a bag of shredded currency. Very friendly and public oriented staff. They also have guest lecturers to speak and they bring giveaways of large denomination bills trapped in Lucite.

[@almostfm]

Interesting bit of trivia about the Carson City Mint. The Nevada State Musesum, which is housed in the old mint building, has one of the original coining presses prominently on display, on loan from the US Mint. During the coin shortage of the mid/late 1960s, the Mint "unloaned" the press, unbolted it from the floor, and shipped it to the San Francisco Assay Office, where it helped strike cents until 1974 before being returned. Some of the SF cents of that period are not particularly well struck, and it's believed that those are ones that were minted on the antique press.

[@oakdew]

Interesting! The things I didn't know I didn't know amazes me sometimes.

[@memathews]

This particular history definitely deserves to be remembered. I had no idea that Dallas City, Oregon was to have a mint, it certainly seems a unlikely place since it is an 1850's days travel from the already well-established town, and son state capitol of Salem, Oregon. Also, the Oregon gold fields were many days, probably weeks, difficult travel to Dallas. I need to look into this further even though the mint was never completed.

[@memathews]

Ah, you meant The Dalles, Oregon, not Dallas, Oregon. Two different towns on two different rivers, separated by a major mountain range and a couple of hundred miles in the same state, it's a mistake non-Oregonians make all the time. The Dalles was a major town on the Columbia River, it was the end point of the overland Oregon Trail from the first wagon train in 1843 until 1846 when the Barlow Toll Road was built across the Cascade Range. The Dalles sits just downstream from the confluence of the John Day River and the Columbia River, so it was a natural point to collect gold from the mining south of John Day and from farther east in Sumpter, Oregon near Baker City. The Dalles is always preceded by the article "The," which helps separate it from Dallas. "The Dalles" has been determined to be a corruption of French, from the original mountain men trapping in the area, and it refers to the columnar basalt that forms the Columbia Gorge and the land on which Eastern Oregon and Washington sit. This spot on the Columbia River was a shallow area of rapids and small falls Native Americans inhabited for 10,000 years and a prime salmon fishing area up until The Dalles Dam was built falls east of the city in 1957 and flooded the rapids and Celilo Falls. Now days the salmon runs are weak, but Native Americans still have fishing rights on the remaining rocks and there are feasts. The area is mainly agriculture, dry-land wheat and especially cherries, and Google for the immediately available electricity.

[@kellyandrichweddle2425]

A very interesting report on the history of US mints.

[@jgeur]

the old Reed gold mine, near Albemarle NC, is a state park where visitors can walk through the mine and pan for gold on the creek that flows through the park. the jeweler that swindled mr. reed operated his business on Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville NC, a town that has a long history of such behavior, just ask any soldier that has been lucky enough to have been posted to Ft. Bragg since WWI.

[@libertyresearch-iu4fy]

Thanks, History Guy for constantly reminding me how much I love history. 6:13 The first five cent (silver) US coin was named 'half disme' and the ten cent coin was named 'disme', which is the French word for tenth; however, it was commonly spelled dime soon after and since. www.pcgs.com/news/rittenhouse-1792-half-disme-sold

[@johndivita4842]

History Guy, Thank you for your informative survey of the US Mint histories. As a coin collector, I'm very interested in all things numismatic. If there is a PO Box or a commercial address you use for subscribers to send you things, I would consider it a privilege to send a Morgan Dollar and some other historic American coins as gifts in acknowledgement of the wonderful content you provide.

[@v.e.7236]

I am the proud owner of a 1955 double D wheat back penny. I've been saving coins since my grandmother started giving us kids her pennies she's collect between visits. We were thrilled every time she came over, hoping we would find a particular penny we were looking for, to complete our penny booklets, with each year and associated mint holding a representative coin. Still check my coins at least once a week. lol

[@griffen98]

Thank you very much that was very very interesting ever great Channel

[@kevindenelsbeck7444]

Very nice. Two mints to add: - there was an actual US branch mint in Manila (the Philippines), from 1920 to 1941, with an M mintmark from 1925-1941 - you mentioned West Point at the beginning -- a little expansion wouldn't hurt. It's our youngest mint and its production of silver eagles and other bullion coins has helped turn the US Mint into the nation's largest coin dealer.

[@mikeburkholder9153]

The Reed Gold Mine has a tour well worth the visit.

[@Redhand1949]

Early manufacturing in America is a good topic. Look up "Great Falls" in Paterson. New Jersey, one of the earliest centers.