West Point Mint

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = West Point Mint

Formerly: West Point Bullion Depository

| nrhp_type =

| image = West Point Mint.jpg

| alt = A large light-colored building with a flat roof seen from above, surrounded by bare trees.

| caption = Mint building from U.S. 9W, 2008

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| map_alt =

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| coordinates = {{coord|41|23|47|N|73|58|56|W|display=inline,title}}

| location = West Point, NY

| nearest_city = Peekskill

| built = 1937

| area = {{convert|4|acre}}

| architect = Louis A. Simon

| architecture =

| added = 1988

| designated_nrhp_type =

| visitation_num =

| visitation_year =

| refnum = 88000027

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}}

The West Point Mint is a U.S. Mint production and depository facility erected in 1937 near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. {{As of|2019}} the mint holds 22% of the United States' gold reserves, or approximately {{convert|54000000|ozt|kg}}{{Cite web|date=2019-04-17|title=A rare look inside the West Point Mint's massive gold vaults and coin operations|url=https://www.fox5ny.com/news/a-rare-look-inside-the-west-point-mints-massive-gold-vaults-and-coin-operations|access-date=2021-02-21|website=FOX 5 New York|language=en-US}} (over $100 billion USD as of 2021). The mint at West Point is second only to the gold reserves held in secure storage at Fort Knox. Originally, the West Point Mint was called the West Point Bullion Depository.{{cite web|title=West Point Mint Facility|date=3 June 2016 |url=https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-tours-facilities/west-point |publisher=United States Mint|access-date=12 June 2019}} At one point it had the highest concentration of silver of any U.S. mint facility,{{cite web|last=Daddio|first=William F.|title=National Register of Historic Places nomination, U.S. Bullion Despository, West Point|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=6614|publisher=New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation|access-date=28 July 2010|date=28 May 1987|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055300/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=6614|url-status=dead}} and for 12 years produced circulating Lincoln cents. It has since minted mostly commemorative coins and stored gold.

It gained official status as a branch of the United States Mint on March 31, 1988. Later that year it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|title=The West Point Mint Facility|url=http://www.goldcoinstrader.net/the-west-point-mint-facility/|publisher=Gold Coins Trader|access-date=19 January 2013|archive-date=31 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331180759/http://www.goldcoinstrader.net/the-west-point-mint-facility/|url-status=dead}}

Building

File:New American Eagles.jpg coins sliding into a tray at the West Point Mint]]

Prior to its 2005 remodel that added a second story,{{cite web|title=The United States Mint at West Point|url=http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinnews/mintfacilities/swf/|work=H. I. P. Pocket Change|publisher=United States Mint|access-date=20 January 2013|year=1999|archive-date=24 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824112435/https://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinnews/mintfacilities/swf/|url-status=dead}} the mint was a {{convert|170|by|256|ft|m|adj=on}} one-story reinforced concrete structure with a flat roof. The walls are mostly featureless with some recessed arches at the entryways. It is on a {{convert|4|acre|ha|adj=on}} parcel of land near the northern facilities of the United States Military Academy, with parking lots on either side. The interior contains minting presses and bullion compartments.

History

File:West Point silver 1938.jpg inspects silver arriving at West Point in 1938]]

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 19741974 Annual Report of the Director of the Mint through 1986, the West Point Mint produced Lincoln cents bearing no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from those produced at the Philadelphia Mint. The years 1977 to 1979 saw Washington quarters produced as well. Approximately 20 billion dollars worth of gold was stored in its vaults in the early 1980s (although this was still significantly less than at 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgs.com/books/commemoratives/chapter09/28|title=The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States: Commemorative Coins of the United States (Page 28)|website=PCGS|access-date=2019-08-21}} This was the first legal tender U.S. gold coin minted since 1933. In 1986, American Gold Eagle bullion coins were solely produced at this facility, again, with no mint mark. The West Point Bullion Depository was granted mint status on March 31, 1988 ({{USPL|100|274}}).{{cite web |url=http://www.usmint.gov/historianscorner/?flash=yes&action=timeline¢ury=1900 |title=Timeline of the United States Mint, 1900s |publisher=United States Mint |access-date=20 April 2010 |archive-date=5 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605234959/http://www.usmint.gov/historianscorner/?flash=yes&action=timeline¢ury=1900 |url-status=dead }} Starting in 1999 American Silver Eagle bullion coins were also produced at the mint.

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.{{Cite news |first=Michael |last=Hill |agency=Associated Press |title=West Point observing 200 years of history |url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/west-point-observing-200-years-of-history/article_dee437af-6077-5edc-94ce-c98b6a511acb.html |access-date=2021-06-29 |newspaper=Tulsa World |date=March 16, 2002}}

Special West Point coinage

File:1996-W Roosevelt dime obverse.jpg

An unusual coinage from West Point occurred in 1996, when a commemorative Roosevelt dime was produced for the 50th anniversary of the design.{{cite web|title=1996-W Roosevelt Dime|url=http://rooseveltdimes.net/1996-w-roosevelt-dime/|publisher=Roosevelt Dimes}} Given as an insert with the standard mint sets sold that year, over 1.457 million were produced. Thus, although this "W"-mint-marked dime is not particularly scarce, it was made only for collectors. In 2015 another "W"-mint-marked dime was issued along with a 2015-W dollar, these as part of a three-coin set to commemorate the March of Dimes. Only 75,000 sets were produced.[http://www.pcgs.com/news/75-anniversary-march-dime-sets 75th Anniversary March of Dimes Sets]

In 2014, a reverse-proof silver Kennedy Half Dollar which was part of a commemorative set, along with the 24K gold proof Kennedy Half Dollar were produced there to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Half Dollar design, again with the "W" mint mark.{{cite web |last1=Roach |first1=Steve |title=Proof 2014-W Kennedy gold half dollar: What a 'perfect' example sold for recently |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/08/2014-kennedy-drove-collectors-insane-realized-one-thousand-four-hundred-forty-one-great-collections.all.html |website=CoinWorld.com |access-date=23 April 2019}}

In 2015, the West Point Mint struck Sacagawea Dollars for the first time.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=Edge approaches differ on Enhanced Uncirculated dollars |url=https://www.coinworld.com/insights/edge-approaches-differ-on-enhanced-uncirculated-dollars.html |website=CoinWorld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=24 July 2019}} Released as part of a special “Native American Coin and Currency Set”, only 90,000 were produced.

The first cents to display the "W" mint mark were produced for collectors in 2019. These West Point Lincoln cents were added to traditional mint and proof sets and were minted in three different finishes. An uncirculated 2019-W cent was included with the uncirculated set, a proof 2019-W cent was included with the proof set, and a reverse-proof 2019-W cent was included with the silver proof set. There are no mintage limits for these sets and individual buyers are not limited in the quantities they are allowed to order.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=U.S. Mint offering West Point Mint cents as numismatic premiums |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2019/03/2019-w-lincoln-cents-only-available-as-premiums.all.html |website=CoinWorld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=23 April 2019}}

On April 2, 2019 the United States Mint announced that 10 million quarters would be placed into circulation containing the "W" mint mark in an effort to promote the hobby of coin collecting. Although quarters had been produced at the West Point Mint before, none of them included the "W" mint mark. These quarters are a part of the "America the Beautiful" quarters program; 2 million of each of the five national park quarters released in 2019 were scheduled to contain the "W" mint mark.{{cite web |last1=Gibbs |first1=William T. |title=Collectors start finding 2019-W quarters, and some are profiting |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2019/04/2019-w-quarter-dollars-continue-to-surface.all.html |website=CoinWorld.com |access-date=23 April 2019}} This was continued in 2020, with the 2020 coins including a special "V 75" privy mark commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=Adding V75 privy mark means 2020-W quarter for American Samoa will be released last |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/precious-metals/adding-v75-privy-mark-means-2020-w-quarter-for-american-samoa-will-be-released-last |website=CoinWorld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=19 April 2020}}

On January 10, 2020, the United States Mint announced that each of the three annual sets released in 2020 would include a "W"-mint-marked Jefferson nickel, just as was done with the Lincoln Cents the previous year. A proof nickel was included with the clad proof set and a reverse-proof nickel with the silver proof set.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=Mint to issue 2020-W Jefferson 5-cent coins as annual set premiums |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/mint-to-issue-2020-w-jefferson-5-cent-coins-as-annual-set-premiums |website=coinworld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=11 January 2020}} Originally the uncirculated coin set was to contain a 2020-W uncirculated nickel, but this plan was scrapped due to the ongoing coin shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Paul |title=2020 Uncirculated Mint set won't contain 2020-W 5-cent coin |url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2020-uncirculated-mint-set-won-t-contain-2020-w-5-cent-coin |website=coinworld.com |publisher=Amos Media Company |access-date=3 November 2020}}

Present

File:West Point gold.jpgs held at West Point Mint in 2011]]

Today{{when|date=September 2021}}, all American Eagle series proof and uncirculated bullion coins in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are produced at West Point, along with all gold commemorative and a few silver commemorative coins. Bullion and proof gold Eagles and some uncirculated and all proof silver Eagles, as well as all commemoratives from West Point are struck with the "W" mint mark. Since 2006, the West Point Mint has 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. Due to the presence of such large quantities of gold bullion on site, security is high; for this reason, it is closed to the public, and its address is withheld by the National Park Service in its National Register listings, though Google Maps gives the site as 1063 NY-218, West Point, NY 10996.{{Cn|date=December 2023}}