West Point Mint

The West Point Mint Facility was erected in 1937, near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Originally the West Point Bullion Depository, it gained official status as a branch of the United States Mint on March 31, 1988.

History

As of 1937 it served as a storage facility for silver bullion and was thus nicknamed "The Fort Knox of Silver." Even without United States Mint status, it produced U.S. coinage. From 1973 through 1986 the West Point Mint produced Lincoln cents, which bear no mint mark, making them seemingly indistinguishable from those produced at the Philadelphia Mint. 1977 to 1979 saw Bicentennial quarters and Washington quarters produced as well. Approximately 20 billion dollars worth of gold was stored in its vaults in the early 1980s; it didn't have as much as Fort Knox.

September 1983 saw the first appearance of the "W" mint mark (from this still unofficial U.S. Mint) on a $10 gold coin commemorating the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This was the first legal tender U.S. gold coin since 1933. In 1986, American Eagle gold and silver bullion coins were solely produced at this facility, again with no mint mark.

An unusual coinage from this mint occurred in 1996 when a commemorative Roosevelt dime was produced for the 50th anniversary of this design. Given as an insert with the standard mint sets sold that year, over 1.457 million were produced. Thus this "W" mint marked dime is not particularly scarce. However, don't start searching your pocket change, these were only made for collectors.

Present

Today all American Eagle series proof and uncirculated bullion coins in gold, silver and platinum are produced at West Point, along with all gold commemorative and a few silver commemorative coins. All commemoratives from West Point are struck with the "W" mint mark. Beginning in 2006, the West Point Mint also made all American Buffalo gold bullion coins.

The West Point Mint still acts as a gold bullion depository, and silver is kept on site only in quantities to meet minting demands.

In 2002, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was honored for its 200th anniversary, and a bicentennial commemorative silver dollar was issued and unveiled on March 16 of that year, featuring a cadet color guard on the obverse and the helmet of Pallas Athena on the reverse. The coin was produced only at the West Point Mint.

References

* [http://www.usmint.gov U.S. Mint website]
* [http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/mint_facilities/index.cfm?action=WP_facilities West Point Mint Facility at the U.S. Mint website]