THE NEW ORLEANS MINT

New Orleans, Louisiana, was the home of a branch mint of the United States from 1838 to 1861, when it was closed following the outbreak of the American Civil War. It reopened in 1879 and forever closed its doors as a mint in 1909. During its two stints producing coinage it struck a wide variety of denominations, ranging from the small three-cent silver piece to the large $20 gold piece. Quarter eagles were produced at this mint only during the pre–Civil War era, as quarter eagle production was mostly at the Philadelphia Mint after 1879 (with a few exceptions). The mint building is still standing to this day and currently houses the Louisiana State Museum. It was built in red brick and designed in the Greek revival style popular at the time it was constructed.

Due to its location and status as a trade port, New Orleans was selected in the 1830s as one of three locations to have a branch mint (Charlotte and Dahlonega were both located close to major gold fields). The city's strategic location, its size (it was the fifth-largest city in the United States prior to the American Civil War), and its active trade meant that it was a perfect spot for a branch mint. In addition, large supplies of metal flowed through the city, much of which came from (former) Spanish colonies in Central America, so getting the gold and silver required for coinage was not a problem. The mint opened in 1838, and during many years it had a very large output of coins, sometimes surpassing the Philadelphia Mint in production figures.

New Orleans Mint Stamping Room

New Orleans Mint Weighing and Counting Room

To read the complete article, see:
The New Orleans Mint's Liberty Quarter Eagles (http://news.coinupdate.com/the-new-orleans-mints-liberty-quarter-eagles/)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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