| What makes it historical? |
After gold was discovered in the mountains west of Denver in 1858, the need to process that gold into spendable coins skyrocketed! On April 21, 1862, an Act of Congress approved the establishment of a mint in Denver, to focus entirely on minting gold coins. The Secretary of Treasury more or less used eminent domain to take over the building run by Clarke, Gruber and Company, the largest private coinage firm in the area. After getting stocked up with equipment, the mint opened for business in September 1863!
Down the road, in 1895, Congress passed a second act to open a larger mint to process both gold and silver. The proceeds from selling the old firm of Clarke, Gruber and Company went toward the construction of the new building, within minting distance of the state capitol. The new building was completed in 1904 but not occupied until 1906. That second building is still standing and still minting today! You’ll know your coin was minted here if it has a tiny “D” on it! |
