History

On April 2, 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, establishing the first national mint in the United States. Congress chose Philadelphia, what was then the nation’s capital, as the site of our first Mint. As gold fever spread across the U.S., branch Mints and assay offices opened to serve the needs of a growing nation. Although the Mint currently operates production facilities in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, and West Point, and a bullion depository at Fort Knox, many other facilities opened throughout our history. Use the resources below to learn more about Mint’s 225 years and counting as one of the federal government’s oldest agencies.

Learn the history of the U.S. Mint by tracing America's gold rush past.