Carson Mint celebrates 150th anniversary

The Carson City Mint celebrated its 150th anniversary Tuesday. The event featured special guests, the minting of a special sesquicentennial medallion and other events.

U.S. Mint Director David Ryder joined Gov. Steve Sisolak, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and other state officials at the Nevada State Museum at 600 N. Carson Street.

The museum has occupied the original mint since 1941.

“Nevada is unique in so many ways, and its land, towns and cultures are full of stories that bear that out,” said Myron Freedman, director of the Nevada State Museum. “This historic Mint, with its original coin press still operating inside, is like none other on Earth, and it is right here in Carson City. It is a portal into another time, and we are so lucky to be here now when we can step through to see and touch time 150 years past.”

The Carson City Mint operated from 1870 to 1893, producing nearly $50 million (face value) of gold and silver coins, including gold double eagles ($20) and eagles ($10), half eagles ($5), silver dollars, half dollars, quarters, dimes and 20-cent pieces. Carson City is one of only eight cities in U.S. history to have a U.S. Mint.

“This is the only mint that is still in its original building, of the seven mints the U.S. had,” explained coiner Woody Davis.

“I’ve always said, you can’t say ‘made in Nevada’ any better than having a coin with the Carson City Mint Mint mark,” said Rusty Goe, a coin expert and author of two books on the Carson City Mint. “The CCs on the back. Was such a privilege for the state of Nevada to have a coinage mint. One of the highest acts of patronage that a state could receive.”

Coin Press No. 1 was the only one in the Mint for its first five years of operation. It later did service at U.S. Mints in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver before its return to Carson City as part of the Nevada State Museum collection. Since 1976, it has produced scores of commemorative medallions.