West Point Mint facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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US Bullion Depository, West Point, New York
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Mint building from US 9W, 2008
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| Location | West Point, NY |
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| Nearest city | Peekskill |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Louis A. Simon |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000027 |
| Added to NRHP | 1988 |
The West Point Mint Facility is a special place where the U.S. Mint makes coins and stores valuable metals. It was built in 1937 near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. This facility is part of the system that holds the country's gold.
As of 2019, it stores about 22% of the United States' gold reserves. That's around 54 million ounces, worth over $100 billion! The West Point Mint holds the second-largest amount of gold in the U.S., right after Fort Knox. It was first called the West Point Bullion Depository. For a while, it held the most silver of any U.S. mint. It also made pennies for 12 years. Today, it mostly makes special collector coins and stores gold.
The West Point facility officially became a branch of the United States Mint on March 31, 1988. Later that same year, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
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About the Building
Before it was updated in 2005, the mint building was a single story. It measured about 170 by 256 feet (52 by 78 meters). The building was made of strong reinforced concrete and had a flat roof. Its walls are mostly plain, with some arched entryways.
There are four turrets, like small towers, at each corner. These turrets are an important part of the building's security. The mint sits on a four-acre (1.6 hectare) piece of land. It's located near the northern part of the United States Military Academy. There are parking lots on both sides of the building. Inside, you'll find machines that make coins and secure rooms for storing valuable metals.
History of the West Point Mint
When it first opened in 1937, the West Point facility was used to store silver bars. People even called it "The Fort Knox of Silver." Even before it was an official U.S. Mint, it started making U.S. coins.
From 1974 to 1986, the West Point Mint made Lincoln cents (pennies). These pennies didn't have a special mark to show where they were made. This made them look just like the ones from the Philadelphia Mint. From 1977 to 1979, it also produced Washington quarters. In the early 1980s, about $20 billion worth of gold was stored in its vaults. This was still less gold than what was kept at Fort Knox.
In September 1983, the "W" mint mark appeared for the first time. This mark was on a $10 gold coin. This coin was made to celebrate the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. It was the first legal tender U.S. gold coin made since 1933. In 1986, all American Gold Eagle bullion coins were made here. These coins also did not have a mint mark.
The West Point Bullion Depository officially became a mint on March 31, 1988. Starting in 1999, American Silver Eagle bullion coins were also made at this mint. In 2002, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point celebrated its 200th anniversary. A special silver dollar was made to honor this event. It showed a cadet color guard on the front and the helmet of Pallas Athena on the back. This coin was only made at the West Point Mint.
Special Coins from West Point
The West Point Mint has made some unique coins for collectors. In 1996, a special Roosevelt dime was produced. It celebrated the 50th anniversary of the dime's design. Over 1.457 million of these dimes were made. They were given as an extra coin in the standard mint sets sold that year. So, while this "W" marked dime is not super rare, it was only made for collectors.
In 2015, another "W" mint marked dime was released. It came with a 2015-W dollar as part of a three-coin set. This set honored the March of Dimes. Only 75,000 of these sets were made. Also in 2014, a special silver Kennedy Half Dollar was made. It was part of a set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Half Dollar. A 24K gold proof Kennedy Half Dollar was also made there. Both had the "W" mint mark.
The West Point Mint made Sacagawea Dollars for the first time in 2015. These were part of a special "Native American Coin and Currency Set." Only 90,000 of these unique dollars were produced.
In 2019, the first pennies with the "W" mint mark were made for collectors. These West Point Lincoln cents were added to regular mint and proof sets. They came in three different finishes: uncirculated, proof, and reverse proof. There were no limits on how many of these sets people could buy.
On April 2, 2019, the U.S. Mint announced something exciting. They would put 10 million quarters with the "W" mint mark into circulation. This was done to encourage people to start collecting coins. Even though quarters had been made at West Point before, none had the "W" mint mark. These quarters are part of the "America the Beautiful" quarters program. Two million of each of the five national park quarters released in 2019 included the "W" mint mark. This continued in 2020. The 2020 coins had a special "V 75" mark. This mark celebrated the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
In January 2020, the U.S. Mint announced that all three annual coin sets for 2020 would include a "W" mint marked Jefferson nickel. This was similar to what they did with the Lincoln Cents the year before. A proof nickel was in the clad proof set, and a reverse proof nickel was in the silver proof set. They originally planned to include an uncirculated 2020-W nickel in the uncirculated coin set. However, this plan was changed because of a coin shortage during the coronavirus pandemic.
The West Point Mint Today
Today, the West Point Mint makes all the special "American Eagle" series coins. These include proof and uncirculated bullion coins made of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. It also produces all gold commemorative coins and some silver commemorative coins.
Most gold and silver "Eagle" coins from West Point have the "W" mint mark. All commemorative coins from West Point also have this mark. Since 2006, the West Point Mint has also made all American Buffalo gold bullion coins.
The West Point Mint still serves as a major storage place for gold. Silver is only kept there in amounts needed for making coins. Because so much gold is stored at the site, security is very tight. The mint does not offer public tours. Even its address is kept private by the National Park Service in its historical listings.
