Big Things Have Happened at the United States Mint in the Month of January
The month of January sets the stage for the new year. Americans go back to work, the wheels of the financial markets spin anew, and the United States Mint begins its year striking coins on new dies. CoinWeek has dug through more than 228 years of Mint history to provide this list of important January goings-on at the U.S. Mint. This list denotes important numismatic firsts, key personnel changes, and historic strikings.
January 1, 1935: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. becomes the 52nd Secretary of the Treasury, replacing Woodin.
January 2, 1892: Barber coin production begins.
January 2, 1959: Philadelphia and Denver mints begin production of the Lincoln Memorial cent.
January 3, 1922: First Peace dollars released. On that same day, George T. Morgan wrote Anthony de Francisci to inform him that he had made adjustments to the design in order to alleviate production problems caused by the coin’s high relief.
January 4, 1848: Incuse CAL. inscriptions applied to specially-produced 1848 Liberty Head quarter eagles struck using California gold.
January 4, 1925: Chief Engraver George T. Morgan dies at the age of 79.
January 4, 1968: After a three-year hiatus spurred on by the transition of U.S. coinage from silver to clad, a striking ceremony is held at the Denver Mint to celebrate the reintroduction of mint marks on U.S. coins. On display at the event were two “First Strike” 1968-S Proof Sets.
January 5, 1798: More than 30,372 dollars delivered. 1797 dies likely used.
January 5, 1861: After striking coins, Philadelphia Mint coiners realize that Paquet reverse dies are a different size than the old Longacre reverse dies and order the discontinuation of their use.
January 6, 1870: Carson City Mint opening ceremonies held. The Carson City Mint officially opens for business two days later without any dies on hand.
January 6, 1936: Bills introduced to authorize the 1936 striking of the California-Pacific International Exposition (San Diego) half dollar and the New Rochelle 250th Anniversary half dollar.
January 7, 1839: coiner at New Orleans Mint delivers 3,600 1838-dated dimes to the Treasurer. The O-Mint would also deliver 70,000 1838-O half dimes on January 16.
January 8, 1796: gold coinage resumes; due to coinage scandal, depositors skittish about U.S. Mint for much of 1796 and 1797. The volume of deposits drops significantly.
January 8, 1799: Bank of the United States deposits $44,020.385 in French crowns for coining into silver dollars. Paid out February 25.
January 10, 1816: 20,000 and 47,500 1815 dated quarters struck for Jones, First & Company.
January 11, 1816: A fire broke out in a building owned by the Mint, damaging rolling equipment. This leads to no half dollars being struck this year.
January 12, 1912: Jabin B. Baldwin, head of the Denver Mint’s coining department, dies.
January 12, 2017: The Mint unveils the design of the American Liberty 225th Anniversary High Relief gold coin in the cash room of the United States Treasury, Washington, DC.
January 12, 2018: Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative gold coin first strike ceremony held at the West Point Mint.
January 13, 1831: Mint receives a deposit of gold bars and gold Templeton Reid coinage totaling 327 ounces. Mint would refine and recoin this material.
January 14, 1797: 432 quarter eagles struck. Possibly the entire run of BD-3 Stars on Obverse quarter eagles (some researchers believe an additional 98 examples of BD-3 were delivered on February 28 and that the January 14 emission contained some No Stars examples).
January 14, 1861: Secretary of the Treasury Philip Thomas resigns to join the Confederacy.
January 14, 1875: Specie Resumption Act signed into law, mandating that the Treasury redeem federally-issued currency for silver or gold specie starting January 1, 1879.
January 14, 1925: Congress passes law authorizing the production of the Lexington-Concord Commemorative half dollar.
January 15(16), 1799: Elias Boudinot writes Matthew Boulton inquiring about the possibility of receiving new cent planchets.
January 16, 1905: Roosevelt writes to Treasury Secretary Leslie Mortier Shaw instructing him to have Mint Director George E. Roberts write to Augustus Saint-Gaudens to ascertain his interest in a commission to redesign U.S. coinage.
January 16, 1981: Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro resigns.
January 17, 1917: Standing Liberty quarter released into circulation. The first issue consisted of 52,000 1916-dated coins. Later in the month, designer Hermon A. MacNeil writes to Mint Director F.J. von Engelken requesting that revisions be made to the design. Congress approves MacNeil’s request on July 9.
January 18, 1796: 14,250 dimes delivered. First dime delivery of the year.
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