The United States Mint – A World Coin Mint from North America

US Mint Information, Mission and Links

Congress created the United States Mint on April 2, 1792, and placed it within the Department of State.

The U.S. Mint was made an independent agency in 1799, and under the Coinage Act of 1873, became part of the Treasury Department. It was placed under the auspices of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in 1981.

The Mint has seen significant changes in its over 200 year history.

Today, the US Mint brings in more than $1 billion in revenue annually and employs over 2,200 employees. It’s the world’s largest producer of coins, medals and other numismatic products.

The Mint is a self-funded agency, returning revenues beyond its operating expenses over to the General Fund of the Treasury.

The official mission statement of the Mint, as taken directly from their site:

The primary mission of the United States Mint is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the nation to conduct its trade and commerce.

In recent history circulating coin production has varied between 11 billion and 20 billion coins annually. In addition to producing coins, the United States Mint has other responsibilities, including the following:

• Distributing U.S. coins to the Federal Reserve banks and branches.
  
• Maintaining physical custody and protection of the Nation’s $100 billion of U.S. gold and silver assets.
  
• Producing proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins, and medals for sale to the general public.
  
• Manufacturing and selling platinum, gold, and silver bullion coins.
  
• Overseeing of production facilities in Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco and West Point, as well as the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The US Mint manufactures an amazing amount of coins. Denver and Philadelphia alone, which are the facilities responsible for producing circulating change, produce 65 million to 80 million coins a day.