Mints Delivering Coins In The Old Days--How Did They Do It?

Trains.

Before trains, Stage Coaches were used. Wells Fargo is Famous for this on the west coast. One is even shown in their logo.

Forgot ships as well.

In the early years (pre-1837) bullion was brought in by depositors and they would return to pick up their coins. The only things shipped out were the cents and Half Cents and they were just shipped to the Bank of the United States that was in the same city. Further distribution was then their headache and also why the coins for the most part didn't spread rapidly but mostly stayed in the central east coast states with ships probably being used for distribution to the other coastal states. After Jackson withdrew Federal deposits from the Bank of the United States in the 1830's and the government began striking coins on their own account after 1837, the coins were shipped to the various "sub-Treasury" banks. This would have been accomplished using kegs and horse and wagon. (The kegs were small only about 18 inches high, we aren't talking about something like a flour. pickle, or whisky barrel.) By the 1850's much of the long distance transportation was being taken over by the trains with horse and wagon only being used at the beginning and the final distribution ends. You also have to remember that up to this point much of the coinage in circulation was NOT US coinage so the government was not involved with having its distribution. After 1853 depositors could no longer deposit silver at the mint for conversion into coins, but they could gold. From 1873 to 78 depositors could once again deposit silver have it coined and pick up the coins, but only Trade dollars. After mid 1876 they had to sing paperwork declaring that they would be exporting the Trade dollars out of the country. In the latter half of the 19th century distribution remained about the same, horse and wagon at the ends of the distribution chain and trains in between. Stage coaches probably never really carried a significant amount of coinage, they mostly carried currency or bullion. Coins were too bulky and heavy. They may have carried some from large western cities to the small outlying cities, but the amount was probably small. Distance between outlying cites was fairly large so the coins tended to stay in the communities and continue circulating. New coin shipment would only be needed to replace the slow attrition and to supplement as the town size increased. Probably a dollar in change per resident would have sufficed if not be excessive.

In the 20th century truck shipment took over for the horse and wagon, and after 1913 shipments from the mint were just to the Federal Reserve Banks and they handled shipment to other branches. To a large extent trains were probably phased out and replaced by semi trailers, especially after the establishment of the Interstate highway system. Shipment being in canvas bags on pallets and now by Ballistic Bags on a dedicated pallet. In most cases now the Federal Reserve contracts out the distribution of coinage to armored car services. I don't know if the mint delivers directly to the services or if they deliver to the Federal Reserve banks and then they deliver to the services or if the services pick up the coinage at the Federal Reserve bank.

I've always thought it was always shipped by UPS.

This interests me too. Since returning to the hobby I've been aware of how few works about U.S. history mention the production and distribution of coins, or even their ordinary daily use. I have Burdette's From Mine To Mint and Van Ryzin's Crime of 1873, both good. Are there books that others have found useful? (I don't mean to confine the question to books whose primary focus is coins.)

Not really. Just keep adding horses or mules. Ever hear of that 20 mule team for hauling? Imagine how much stuff you could haul with about 30 or 40 mules. If the Egyptians moved all those large concrete blocks, what is so tuff about a bunch of coins.