U.S. Mint in West Point

The facility at West Point was opened in the 1930s near the eponymous military academy. It was originally meant to be used only as a bullion storage facility. In its early days, the West Point storage facility played a critical role in the Lend-Lease Program during World War II, but forty years later, it began minting pennies to lighten the production load on the other U.S. minting facilities. In the 1980s it was recognized as an official U.S. government mint. This high-security mint today does not allow public tours or visitors, and produced only uncirculated collectible and commemorative coins until 2019, when it produced coins for circulation for the first time.

Fast Facts About U.S. Mint in West Point

  • Produced the first-ever bi-metallic coin in 2000
  • Struck America’s first palladium coins in 2017
  • Stores over $20 billion in gold in its vaults
  • Minted commemorative concave coins in 2020

History of the U.S. Mint in West Point

A facility for storing silver bullion was built in West Point, New York in 1937. Soon thereafter, during World War II, it was called upon during the Lend-Lease Program, to lend silver to the Atomic Energy Commission, various industries, and American allies. From 1974-1986, the facility produced pennies to reduce production pressure on the country’s three mint production facilities. Also in the 1970s and ‘80s, West Point began producing collectors’ items, including bicentennial quarters in 1976 and gold medals in the following decade. From that point on, it has produced its own coins, and today it makes a large portion of the nation’s gold currency. It was not until 1988, however, that it was officially recognized as a U.S. mint.

Act of Congress Enacting the U.S. Mint in West Point

On March 31, 1988, as part of “Public Law 100-274,” an act of Congress to “authorize appropriations for the Bureau of the Mint for fiscal year 1988” included the official renaming of the “assay office at New York” as the “mint at West Point.”

U.S. Mint in West Point’s Notable Directors, Coin Designers & Developments

The Mint at West Point has been the production site of several innovative coins. These include the 2000 Library of Congress Commemorative Bi-Metallic Ten-Dollar Coin, which was the first bi-metallic coin–made of gold and platinum–and America’s first palladium coins, struck there in 2017. Also from it has come collectors’ favorites such as the American Eagle proof coin and the American Buffalo gold bullion coin. In 2002, more space was badly needed, so a second story was built onto the facility, doubling its operating space. The Superintendent of the Mint at West Point, Ellen McCullom, has worked there since 1975, and has been Superintendent since 1999.

Day to Day Operations of the U.S. Mint in West Point

The Mint at West Point today stores silver, gold, and platinum bullion, and mints commemorative coins and collectibles. 2019 was the first time in decades that it struck coins for circulation. It produced at least ten million of the America the Beautiful quarters, that were shipped to the Federal Reserve and then distributed to banks nationwide. Largely due to the fact that the West Point Mint stores nearly 25% of the Treasury’s gold reserves, security is extremely strict at the facility. Tours are not given, and the address is officially withheld from National Register listings, but a web search does appear to offer up the location.

Some Rare “W” Mint Marked Coins Worth Watching Your Change to Find

The “W” mint mark was not used on circulating coins until 2019. That year, the Mint at West Point produced two million each of five different quarters in the “America the Beautiful” series. They depict the Lowell National Historic Park, the River of No Return Wilderness, American Memorial Park in the Mariana Islands, the War in the Pacific (in Guam), and the San Antonio missions. Ten million quarters comes out to roughly one in every 200 quarters produced in 2019. Since these quarters bearing the “W” mint mark are somewhat rare, they are estimated to be about 25 dollars—yes dollars, not cents—in value.

Learn more about past and present coin values here.

Other U.S. Mints Past & Present

Demand for monetary production spread to different American regions in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. It all started in Philadelphia, then with gold rushes in the west came the need for mints in San Francisco and Denver, with a more recent one added in West Point, though there have been others. Though not all of today’s mints allow the public in, they serve as important parts of our country’s history and infrastructure.

Learn more about the modern and active U.S. Mints in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, California, and Denver, Colorado.

Content last updated on 01/26/2023