Memorable Visits to the Philadelphia Mint
by Kari Brower
I have taken many trips to the Philadelphia Mint over the years. Here are three of my most memorable visits there.
In 1989, I was chairperson in charge of arranging a trip to the Philadelphia
Mint for my local club - Ocean County Coin Club of Brick, N.J.
But instead of taking a regular tour of the mint, which my club and I had
done in the past, I wanted this visit to be different - something special
that the club members would remember for years.
A Special Event
I decided to ask one of the Sculptor/Engravers of the Mint - who design U.S. coins - to give us a talk and presentation on how coins are designed.
First, I had to write John Martino, Superintendent of the Mint at the time, to ask for permission. Mr. Martino, in turn, got permission from Washington D.C., and my club was scheduled to hear a talk by John Mercanti on July 21, 1989.
When we got to the Mint, we were greeted by Tim Grant and Eleanor McKelvey, who work in the Public Relations Department at the Mint. We were escorted through a double door that is primarily used by Mint employees only. Once inside, I was checking my list of club members and guests, and I noticed a man had
accidentally joined our group who didn't belong.
He was then quickly but politely escorted back out of the double doors by Mint Security people.
Before we were allowed upstairs to the engraving floor, we had to leave behind
any cameras, as the Mint doesn't permit any pictures to be taken in that area.
The President's Room
Once on the engraving floor, we were ushered into a conference room called "The President's Room." We were informed that this room is used frequently by members of the U.S. Congress, as a meeting room for discussing legislation dealing with U.S. coinage. One of the first things I noticed as I entered were the galvanos on the walls of every President from George Washington to the last President to hold office.
John Mercanti
After a brief presentation by Tim Grant, John Mercanti entered the room. He gave us a wonderful talk on how coins are designed, answered our questions, and autographed our information jackets (from coins he'd designed - which we'd brought with us).
After the presentation was over, I thought the highlight of the trip had ended. Our club members and I went back downstairs to tour the Mint or other parts of the city.
Striking My Own Medal
While I was in the Mint's lobby, I decided to buy some medal planchets ($1 apiece) and have them struck on an 1869 coin press. When it comes your turn to have your medals struck, you hand the cellophane-wrapped planchets to a Mint employee who unwraps each planchet and places it into the coin press. Then, they hand you a remote control button. When they say, "Ready," you press the button and strike your medal.
While I was in line waiting to strike my medals, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I naturally thought it was a club member wanting to know what we were going
to do next.
I turned around and saw John Mercanti, holding something wrapped in tissue paper. When he unwrapped it, I saw a beautiful plaster of paris model of an eagle head, surrounded by 13 stars.
A Newly-Made Gift
He said he had just made it that morning, and noted that he couldn't autograph the back because it was still soft. He said, however, that once it was
hardened I could mail it back to him and he would sign it.
He also said that if it ever broke, he would fix it.
I carefully placed the model in my pocketbook, and cautiously guarded it with my life!
I was so excited by this gift that I had to tour the Mint four times just to walk off the extra surge of adrenaline racing through my body. During my first time around, I met up with club member Chris Connell, and showed him my present. Then, I continued touring.
I have always enjoyed touring this Mint, ever since I first went there on a class trip in 1976.
An Eagle Named Peter
When one first enters the Mint's lobby, there are many things to see. First, there is "Peter the Eagle." Peter is a stuffed American Bald Eagle who was a mascot of the U.S. Mint back in the 1830s. It was the first Bald Eagle held in captivity in America. He was the model for the eagle that was used on our coinage in the 1830s. Peter died as a result of an accident when he was hit by a flywheel that broke his wing.
Other things I saw in the lobby included beautiful mosaics showing how coins were minted throughout history, and the U.S. Mint Seal carved out of mahogany wood from Africa.
On the second floor, the mezzanine level, I looked down through a glass window to see how coins are made. The public is not allowed on the coin production floor because at times coins are ejected from coin presses at speeds over a hundred miles an hour, and they'd hit an object just like a bullet coming out of a gun.
Fascinating Exhibits
Also on the mezzanine level are exhibits that show the history of our country, using reproductions of U.S. documents, and with medals struck by the Mint. One of the exhibits mentions that Paul Revere,
famous Boston patriot and silversmith, supplied copper that was used to create our nation's first coins. I found viewing these exhibits very enjoyable and educational.
A 1792 Coin Press
The mint has artifacts from all four former Philadelphia Mints,
but I particularly liked the articles from the first U.S. Mint, built in 1792. Among these were a skeleton door key, sun-dried bricks that were excavated from a well, error coins struck in the early 1790's, pictures of the first Mint before it was demolished in 1911, a copy of an expense ledger from the 1790s, and there was even a 1792 half disme on display. There was also an interesting display of a Mint office of 1910. But what interested me most of all was a 1792 coin press.
A few of us tried to get a closer look at that coin press (without going past the ropes closing it off), to see if there was a coin die still in there - but we couldn't tell.
Another impressive exhibit showed U.S. gold coins. Many of them were stuck off center or had other errors.
I will never forget that particular trip. Nor will I forget another Mint trip sponsored by our club, when I took along my nephew, Bill. On that trip, 1 offered to buy Bill almost anything he wanted from the Mint's store. The store had toy cannons that came in small, medium and large sizes. Bill wanted a small cannon. I told him he could have a larger one, but he insisted that he wanted the small one. I'm sure most parents would be happy to have a child who is so easy to please.
On that day, I also remember that I bought an oval Indian Peace Medal, an item no longer offered there. And, later that day, we went on to tour the Franklin Mint.
Tight Security
The last trip I took to the Philadelphia Mint was in 1992, and again I was in charge of the trip for our local club. Again I had obtained permission to have a Sculptor/Engraver speak to the group. But this time, we were visiting a government facility during the Persian Gulf War, so I had to give the Mint security forms with a list of members and guest names, addresses, social security numbers, and answers to questions like, "Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime?" And, before any of us could go through the double doors, our
forms were checked over carefully by Mint security. I took my niece, Amber, with me this time.
Mercanti Again
While our forms were being processed, we were given a personal, private tour of the Mint by one of the staff. It was at this time I learned that our guest speaker was going to be John Mercanti. I was thrilled, because I had sent him my plaster of paris model to be autographed some time ago, but he had been too busy to sign it.
After the tour, we went back downstairs. Security personnel had some additional questions to ask, but it wasn't too long before we could enter the restricted area. When we took our seats in the President's Room, John Mercanti entered and gave me my plaster of paris model, signed and dated on the back. Then, he also presented a plaster model to Charlie Nowack, the club's current president.
Pig Sculptures
Mr. Mercanti told us that when he wasn't sculpturing eagles on coins, his favorite animals to sculpt were pigs! He said he would go to pig farms to draw the animals and then sculpt them later. On weekends, he would sell these at flea markets. Mr. Mercanti also told us that Mint employees are not allowed to carry money when they enter the building to go to work. Instead, they carry plastic "debit cards." When the workers want to buy food or drinks there, they insert their cards into machines that deduct the cost of the items from their weekly paychecks. During his talk, which was really a question and answer period this time, he showed one of his pig sculptures. A young girl who had correctly answered one of his questions was given the pig.
After the discussion period was over, Mr. Mercanti again signed information jackets for anyone who had them.
"Let's Buy That... and That"
When we went downstairs, Amber and I toured the Mint again, and then visited the Mint store. Unlike my nephew, Bill, Amber wanted to buy everything in sight! We did buy a few items, but then I thought it best for us to go outside and tour some other areas of Philadelphia before I went broke.
Once outside, Amber and I walked to the Liberty Bell Pavilion to gaze upon one of the oldest and best known symbols of liberty. After a few minutes there, we walked to Independence Hall to take a tour of that building. But the lines were very long, waiting outside, and it was 100 degrees in Philadelphia that day, so we decided against touring the interior of that building. We also had planned to take a horse-drawn carriage ride, but the operators of those rides closed them down after the temperature passed 97 degrees -- to prevent the horses from overheating.
So, not knowing Philadelphia well, and the weather being so hot, Amber and I
headed back to the Mint, where we spent the rest of the day.
Unforgettable
As I stated earlier, I will never forget my trips to the Philadelphia Mint, which happens to be the largest mint in the world. For those of you who have never been there, I highly recommend a visit. And, if you plan to go with a group, try to schedule a talk by a Sculptor/Engraver. I am sure you'll find it very interesting, informative and memorable.
Kari Brower, a resident of Brick, N.J., is a member of PAN and the ANA, as well as her local club, Ocean County Coin Club. At the most recent ANA convention in New York City, July 29-Aug. 3, 1997, her exhibit of modern mint medals won a first prize, also earning her the coveted Franklin Mint gold medal for exhibiting.
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