This week I'm in DC with my son and his 6th grade class. Tomorrow we have a window of about 5 hours to visit whatever we want. I'm wondering if the BEP or Mint admin buildings will be worth the "off the beaten path" walk. Anyone been to either one? About a year ago, I commented on a FB post from the US Mint about being in DC and they responded with a comment about having a kiosk where I could exchange for UNC rolls if ATB quarters. I just don't know if it'd be worth giving up time for other places.
My family took us to the BEP seven or so years ago and it was pretty cool. Believe it or not, they don't let you take pictures on the tour. Do be aware that to get tickets for the BEP you have to get there early in the morning and wait for the tickets. This prevented us from going when we went to DC ~10 years ago. I think the tickets are free, though. Keep in mind this is a foggy recollection and things may have changed since then.
The Smithsonian opened a new exhibit his summer for the National Numismatic Collection. After reading this article, I'd recommend visiting that. Also free.
It has been a LOONG time since I toured the BEP but I did find it very interesting. I would skip the Mint Building. Haven't been there but it is basically an office building. There might be a small display in the lobby and there is a sales counter where you can buy current US Mint products but that's it. Here is where you can get information about touring the BEP http://www.moneyfactory.gov/washingtondctours.html
I would recommend picking something close to your lodging . That way you can maximize your free time. If the weather is nice the streets pack out traffic and office workers. I always do my best to be in the city by 6 -60 am and on the way out by 1pm. At 3 pm on Fridays in mid town will take you 2 to 3 hours to go 30 miles in any direction . have fun I do every visit......
Well, I just returned home from the trip. Too tired to write s bunch up, but I found the new numismatic display at the museum of American history. All I can say for now is that it is a massive improvement over the old one, which is still there. I have some pics and thoughts just too tired to put it all down now. We did not attempt the BEP but will be going back at some point, just too much to see not to go back with more time.
FYI for those waiting - https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my...ion-at-the-museum-of-american-history.269470/
Back in the late 1970's the Old San Francisco mint had an amazing exhibition of pioneer era gold coins, insurance expenses saw the exhibit closed in the 1980s though. The Carson City mint is the Nevada State Museum, it does have an exhibit of gold coins minted in Carson City. Of the old mint facilities in the USA I would suggest that Nevada City mint is the most worthwhile to see. I have never been to the Philly or Denver mints. Wells Fargo Bank has a small museum in San Francisco that is worth seeing if you are ever there. My favourite mint visit though is the Rijks Munt in Utrecht in the Netherlands.
I stopped in at the Value of Money exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History last weekend and really enjoyed it. The highlights for me were the original CSA one cent dies donated by Bashlow, and some Puerto Rico 1 peso pattern sketches drawn by Charles Barber. There were also many early patterns and proofs and other interesting numismatic items like a 1700s Russian beard tax token. Overall well worth the visit.
I visited the Philadelphia mint two years ago. They have a nice display in the lobby covering the basics of minting and a general history of US coins. The tour itself was completely self-guided and required reading numerous didactics along the way, most of which contained only basic information. No tour guides, no one to answer questions, no one but other tourists in a long endless hallway. It still managed to be very interesting in a kind of lonely, meandering way. The gift shop was packed with Whitman books and proof coins. Feeling parsimonious, I bought only a single proof W-mint silver eagle. Everything seemed a little marked up, if I remember right, so I held back. Anyone who finds themselves in Winnipeg has to take the mint tour. Everything about it was fantastic. The tour guide explained everything and even answered detailed questions. There was a display where you can see a mint press up close as it mints a token a foot in front of your face. The ground trembles beneath you. There was even an armed guard with an enormous gold ingot chained to the ground that they let you pick up and hold. And I won't even get started on the gift shop. The only negative was finding the mint, which proved a little challenging since our GPS didn't function north of the border. But it was definitely worth the minor frustration.
