Went To The Mint Today.

I was there also. It was ok.

They do not allow photos in the mint.

We did get a few of the graveyard and will post, if it's alright when we get home.

Yes that is interesting especially for someone like me that has never been there. Never been to Philidelphia either but not sure if I'm missing anything there.
So they won't let you take photos. I wonder why? No big secret on how coins are made. Might be afraid someone will get photo'd sleeping on the job.
AND no free samples, HUH?

The mint tour used to be more interesting back when they had the older more open presses. You could actually see what was going on. But OSHA regulations have resulted in more enclosed presses for safety and sound deadening and now they pretty much just look like big metal boxes. Back in 1976 when I toured the mint they still had their foundry and they actually melted and poured the ingots for the cents and five cents. They also had the rollers for rolling out the strip. So back then you could still see all the steps it was shortly after that they removed the foundry and rolling portions. They still do the blanking of the clad planchets but once again it's a case of the strip goes in one side of a "box" and webbing comes out the other. You can't really see what is going on.

Thanks all for responding.

Specksnyder the were only about 10 people total the whole time we were there.

sralloway I'm not into the new coins as much so there was not alot for me to drool over. I did not see the latest 5 oz quarters for sale?

No Carl there were no free samples. They did let me play with the first coin press that they made all the Half Dismes on. Well maybe not let me, but I touched it.

googoo I think it would be disappointing for anyone, because nothing was explained about what was happening. I probably found it more interesting because I had some understanding of what was happening. One display that I felt was very disappointing was where there were all or part of the military metal awarded to our service people. Problem is none of them were labeled.


Bizybackson the coins were all still there in the display cases.

Conder101 it seems like your tour was a much more interesting. There were long conveyor belts that were moving large quantities of cent blanks to be processed. You could tell they were being dumped in a hopper. Then fed into a machine where something was done and on to another conveyor belt for more processing.

JangoFett I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience I'm not trying to dissuade any one from the experience.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank located two blocks from the Mint (6th and Arch St) has an interesting exhibit on money and commerce in their lobby called "Money in Motion". Plus you get a free bag of shredded money when you leave! They also have a machine that takes quarters and spits out the latest ATB Quarter in exchange.

That sounds pretty lacking, in terms of business. Perhaps you should contact them and volunteer (or get paid - bonus!) to be a tour guide, or suggest that they update their exhibits. Just get in contact with someone within the mint. That way when you show up for a proper tour they're at least expecting you and their work won't get disrupted. Ask and you shall receive.

That is what I ment the displays were very poor.

My guess is that it is an old sign. That was not removed after the 50 states quarters were done.

As to taking photo of the process, I thought someone said there was a movie about how they are made. Or was it on utube? Not sure but I thought there was some kind of movie about the process. If so, then why not let people take photos.


Not meaning to change the subject but when I was a kid we used to go to graveyards. One of my friends would lay down on a grave and I'd take multiple photo shots of him with underexposures as he slowly got up. The end result was a ghostly image emerging from the grave.