San Fransico Mint

I'm going to San Fransico in 2 weeks and I was wonding if the Mint is open for tours and if it is possible to pick up coins there?

Where is the Mint? The last time I was there I saw the old mint, but no functioning facility.

Ruben

 

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Ruben:
The last time that I was there it was closed (2001).

 

Here is the location of both the New and Old SF mint. If you are going there and take photographs, please post them in this forum.

http://www.gxseries.com/worldmint/0world_mint.htm

Hopefully the location of the mints are right.

 

I don't think the Mint permits photos inside the facility.

 

The Old Mint museum has been closed for a long time.

The New Mint (built 1937) does not offer tours.

 

The "new" mint in SF has no tours or public access, nor a gift shop. The old mint was a museum until 1994, but as far as I know, it's been closed for retrofitting and restabilization. Also, if you're staying there in town, I'd reccomend you take a cab there from your hotel, unless you don't mind paying $45 for parking. I wouldn't reccomend walking in the neighborhood of the old mint either.
Guy~

 

the neiborhood of the old mint is fairly safe in the daylight hours,you might get panhandeled by some homeless,just use common sense ie:no diamond rings or fat gold chains or counting big wads of cash on the street,otherwise you should be fine.
The old mint is just one block off Market st the busiest st in SF

 

Not sure how much into art you are, Ruben, but nearby is the Museum of Comic Art. It's free, except for an encouraged donation, and has a lot of original comic and comic strip art, including a nice collection of Charles Schulz art. Worth a visit if it intrests you.
Guy~

 

... and it seems the Old Mint will be under (re-)construction until 2011:
http://www.themintproject.org/index.php

Christian

 

it would be interesting to know the reaction you may get if you hand a prez buck to a panhandler.

 

Last time I walked nearly everywhere and the old mint, if I'm not mistaken, was about 2 blocks from the Transmeta building, up the hill on the way to China town. Why would you not walk that neighborhood?

Ruben

 

Really, I didn't know that. I went to their museum of modern art als time, butting a small park. It was a nice museum and the SF crowd was so different from those in NY. But I LOVE comics, so I'll try to make that.

Ruben

 

No, both the new and old mints are south of Market in a mostly industrial area. The Wells fargo museum is near the Trans-America building.
Guy~

 

I'll be in SF the 1st week of Sept. The old US Mint is located on 5th st. between Market and Mission sts. While it's not a good neighborhood it is right there, downtown where the streetcars, trolleys and cable cars are running. On Mission st is a popular bus line that goes thru the center of the city and covers a lot of ground. Walking around there is OK during the day, and iffy very late at night.
The New mint is located on Duboce st and Market sts. Most busses and trolleys going West on Market street pass the Mint at Church st. & Market & Duboce. I don't know about tours but will try and find out. I wouldn't mind a tour myself.

Bruce

 

The new mint actually on the north side of Market(one block up) and the south of market area where the old mint is located is not really industrial anymore because of gentrification,lots of development,hotels ,starbucks and a huge new shopping center(bloomindales).
The problem is the Mint is on 5th st and 6th st is basically skid row so stay off 6th.
Sorry guy's but as a lifelong native i had to clearify.

 

I was up in the vicinity of the 1937 "New Mint" in 2006 and they do not have tours.

I did take these pictures of the outside of the building






The round items are sculptures of various coins produced at the San Francisco mints.

 

I like the Safeway truck in the background of the first pic. Smart thinking....who's going to guess new money rolls in a produce truck?!
Guy~

 

I never noticed the Safeway truck, but I believe there is a Safeway store across the street from the mint.

 

Is that were the science museum or some such was over there was being temporarially housed? I'm thinking that the one I was refering about, up the hill from the Transmeta building, was perhaps the second SF mint.

Ruben

 

I saw that and it was nice. A lot of Shultz art and some wonderful animated cells.

Ruben