Big Things Happened at the United States Mint in January

By CoinWeek …..
 

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.

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January 1, 1796: Adam Eckfeldt, whose connections to the Mint date back to the striking of the half disme in 1792, begins work at the Mint as a regular employee, serving as an assistant to the Chief Coiner.

January 1, 1934: 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 2, 1867: President Andrew Johnson nominates William Millward to the position of Mint Director. Johnson appointed Millward in October 1866 while the Senate was in recess. The Senate would ultimately reject Millward’s nomination.

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 (to 6), 1865: Ulysses S. Grant Congressional Gold Medal struck.

January 4, 1883: Revised designs for the Liberty Head “V” nickel sent to Mint Director Burchard and Treasury Secretary Folger for approval.

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 4, 2018: 2018 American Silver Eagle Proof released.

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 6, 2022: 2022 Negro Leagues Baseball Commemorative Coins released.

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 7, 1861: Two pairs of 1861-D dollar dies arrive at the Dahlonega Mint, shipped on December 10, 1860, in anticipation of the next year’s coinage.

January 7, 2021: American Silver Eagle Proof featuring Mercanti design is released.

January 8, 1796: Gold coinage resumes. Due to a coinage scandal, depositors are skittish about the U.S. Mint for much of 1796 and 1797 and 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 8, 1883: Mint Director Burchard writes to Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Snowden that Treasury Secretary Folger has approved the Liberty Head “V” nickel design sent on January 4.

January 8, 2001: New York State quarter released. Launch ceremony held at New York State capital.

January 9, 1837: The Coinage Act of January 9, 1837 is passed. This law established new officer roles at the United States Mint, established an annual reporting requirement from the Director of the Mint, established weight tolerances for coinage, and provided other provisions related to coin design and coin production.

January 10, 1816: 20,000 and 47,500 1815 dated quarters struck for Jones, First & Company.

January 10, 2019: 2019 American Eagle Silver Proof released.

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, 1793: Congress passes legislation authorizing the reduction of the weight of the cent to 208 grains per coin.

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, 1782: Robert Morris proposes a standardized system for the United States monetary efforts and suggests that Congress establish a mint.

January 15(16), 1799: Elias Boudinot writes Matthew Boulton inquiring about the possibility of receiving new cent planchets.

January 15, 2019: 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set released.

January 16, 1863: George W. Lane was confirmed by the Senate to be Superintendent of the Denver Mint.

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.

January 18, 1837: Coinage Act of 1837 signed into law. .900 fine silver standard.

January 18, 1873: Chief Coiner Archibald Louden Snowden gets approval from Mint Director Henry R. Linderman to change the date logotype, leading to the creation of the Open 3 date style.

January 18, 2017: 2017 Lions Club International Centennial commemorative silver dollar released. 

January 19, 1801: Mint delivers 1,320 gold eagles, warrant 193, its largest delivery of eagles for the month.

January 20, 1976: 76 examples of the Colorado Centennial medal are struck at a first strike ceremony at the Denver Mint.

January 21, 1840: 1840-dated Half dollar dies dispatched to New Orleans.

January 21, 1867: Treasury Secretary McCulloch orders rays removed from the reverse of the Shield nickel.

January 21, 1913: After making a few slight revisions to appease the belligerent Hobbs Manufacturing Company of New York, a fresh round of Buffalo nickel patterns are struck in Philadelphia.

January 23, 1923: President Warren Harding signs into law a bill authorizing the striking of the Monroe Doctrine Commemorative half dollar.

January 24, 1848: James Wilson Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill.

January 24, 1880: The Mint sends 25 Stella goloid pattern sets to Congress.

January 24, 2019: U.S. Mint releases Apollo 11 commemorative coins.

January 25, 1849: Representative James McKay of North Carolina introduces legislation to authorize the striking of gold dollar coins.

January 25, 1938: The United States Mint issues a press release announcing a public competition to redesign the nickel.

January 25, 2001: The United States government reaches an agreement with dealer Steve Fenton regarding the disposition of the so-called “Farouk” 1933 double eagle.

January 25, 2010: Native American $1 coin debuts at Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in Manhattan.

January 25, 2017: 2017 Native American $1 coin released.

January 25, 2018: 2018 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof is released. 

January 25, 2019: Thomas Jefferson Presidential Silver Medal released.

January 26, 1861: Secretary of Treasury John A. Dix orders the New Orleans Mint superintendent to shoot anyone who “attempts to haul down the American flag.”

January 27, 1879: Mint Director Dr. Henry Linderman dies.

January 28, 1988: Cynthia Grassby Baker is sworn in as Superintendent of the Denver Mint.

January 29, 1874: The Coinage Act of January 29, 1874 is passed, authorizing the Mint to strike coins for foreign countries.

January 29, 1878: The Mint sends the Treasurer of the Mint 200 1878 silver Proof sets (1,3,5,10,20-25,50 + Trade Dollar). Offered for $4.50.

January 30, 1883: Ceremony held to mark the start of the commencement of the striking of the “V” nickel. First strike sent to President Arthur. Other ceremonial strikes are given to various dignitaries.

January 30, 2023: United States Mint releases Ohio American Innovation dollar.

Also Happening at the United States Mint in January

January 1831: Mint begins to strike quarters using collar dies.

January 1833: A new Mint facility opens in Philadelphia.

January 1857: Mint strikes 333,546 large cents. The final coinage of the large cent.

January 1877: Treasury suspends coinage of twenty-cent pieces.

January 1879: The Mint (reluctantly) begins to strike patterns testing the viability of a 35-gram metric double eagle.

January 1909: The San Francisco Mint strikes its final quantity of Indian Head cents in January and February.

January 1948: begins taking orders for Double Mint Sets for coins struck in the prior year.

January 1968: production of silver-clad “1965” dated half dollars begins.

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