The E-Sylum:  Volume 3, Number 34, August 20, 2000, Article 3

IN SEARCH OF THE FIRST MINT 

   Pete Smith also sent this note about his convention experiences: 
   "My talk on literature and illustrations of the Philadelphia Mints 
   ran longer than the time suggested.  I had at least a half an 
   hour of additional material that I could have included.  As an 
   example, I did not tell of my attempt to visit the first Philadelphia 
   Mint. 

   The current Mint shows a map of the location of previous 
   mints and mentions a marker on the Federal Building 
   commemorating the first mint.  I walked around three sides 
   of the Federal Building and could not find a marker.  I asked 
   two guards at the public entrance and they had never heard 
   of a marker for the first mint.  Another guard at the employee 
   entrance had the same reaction.  She suggested I try the GSA 
   office on the fourth floor saying they would know if anyone 
   would.  There I found two more people who had never heard 
   of a marker for the first mint.  One woman said that she had 
   worked for the government for 29 years and had worked in 
   that building since it was opened.  She assured me that there 
   was no marker on the building. 

   I talked to someone at the ANA convention who had seen 
   the marker on a previous visit.  The south end of the Federal 
   building was inaccessible because of construction.  I suspect 
   the marker, if it still exists, was behind the construction fences. 
   I wonder if any of the workers in the current Federal Building 
   are aware that they occupy the site of the first building 
   constructed by our government." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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