So, just by curiousity: When/why did the San Francisco mint stop creating business strikes to focus on proof production? (Guess the opposite question can be posed too...why did Philly stop making proofs?) Thanks for answering/entertaining my silly ponderments.
I think it was because Philadelphia was striking both proofs and business coins, they may have had a problem with meeting quotas, so the Director at the time decided to have 1 branch mint focus on proof production.
Much of the reason is as much Political as was actual need . The Old San Francisco Mint Facility was in such dis-repair , for Health and Safety reasons , the old building was closed , but protected as a Historical Landmark . somewhere about 1975 , the New Mint Facility , with the state of the art equipment over-took production of all Proof Coinage from the Philadelphia Mint. This is but the short version of what was and what is.
The San Francisco Mint ceased production of coins in 1955. During the coin shortage crisis 1965-1967 the SF Mint was brought back on-line to strike coins (without mintmarks). In 1968 production of Proof coins was moved to the SF Mint. The SF Mint also struck Business Strike coins for several years after that but ceased striking Business Strikes in the mid-'70s.
I may be mistaken but I thought the Old SF Mint was replaced by the New SF Mint during the 1930s, not the 1970s.
I've just completed reading the book, History of the United States Mint and it's Coinage, by David W. Lange. It is a pretty good book that discuss all the US coins as well as the history of each U.S. mint including the only one outside the U.S. The San Francisco mint had many starts and stops on its history from its approval for construction in 1852 until today. The massive shortage of coins in the early 1960's caught the mint totally off guard. They began to mint punching blanks in 1964 and sent them to the Denver mint. In 1965, the introduction of the nickel-clad coins caused additional issues for the U.S. mint. To prevent hoarding of the ever popular San Francisco mint, that mint made coins without a mint mark so that they were indistinguishable from the Philidelphia mint. In 1968, the S mintmark was restored for only the cents and the nickels. Hoarding of these coins led to the removal of the S mint mark in 1975. Only in 1979 and 1981 were the S mint marks used in circulation coins and only on the SBA's. Up until 1983, S-less cents were struck in San Francisco to meet demand.
You are correct Hobo. http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/mint_facilities/?action=SF_facilities 1937 to be exact.
A little historical perspective -- there was a coin shortage in the mid-sixties, exacerbated by the fact that we were also switching over between silver and clad coinage. Collectors were being blamed for the shortage, so the mint stopped production of proof sets after 1964 and removed mintmarks from coinage beginning with 1965 issues. Because production was required everywhere, the San Francisco mint reopened in order to make coins for circulation. When the Mint decided to make Special Mint Sets in lieu of Proof Sets, they were made in San Francisco as well. Proof sets and mintmarks reappeared in 1968, and by this time the San Francisco Mint was able to continue with production of special coins, along with cents and nickels for circulation. The SF Mint has made proof sets ever since.
The West Point Assay office also made mintmark-less cents for a time in the 70s and 80s. That facility didn't become a mint until 1983, I think.
According to David W. Lange, you are correct about the mint-less cents made at the West Point mint. Coinage operations started in July 1974 and continued until 1984 for just mint-less cents and quarters during this period. Of course, they began to mint bullion coins at West Point starting in 1980. David also mentions the 1996-W dime to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Roosevelt dime. I must say that I like his book. It is quite informative and has lots of pictures.
You're some what correct. West Point minted Lincoln cents from 1973 to 1986 as well as the dual date Washingtons in 75-76. They were not granted full mint status until March 31, 1988, two years after minting the first ASE coins in 86, and five years after minting $10 gold commemorative Los Angelas Olympic games, and that was the first coin minted at West Point that bears the W mintmark.
Phil, thanks for mentioning the book. I absolutely have to own a copy of it now! Under $15 on amazon.com...
