When people think of West Point, they think of the US Military Academy. But how many know there’s a US Mint there, too?
Built in 1937 as a depository for storing US silver bullion reserves, the West Point facility was known (or unknown) as the Fort Knox of Silver. Today with silver out of all circulating US coins, West Point only keeps enough of the metal on hand to satisfy its manufacturing needs. West Point is also a secondary depository for gold, with as much as $20 billion on deposit at its peak. By comparison, Ft. Knox stores over $100 billion worth.
West Point’s First Classes
In 1974, the West Point Depository began making Lincoln cents to ease production demands on the other mints. But since the facility wasn’t an official mint, the West Point pennies carried no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from coins made at the Philadelphia Mint. Lincoln cents continued to be produced at West Point through 1986.
Bicentennial and Washington quarters were also struck at West Point from 1977-1979, again without mint marks. American Eagle gold bullion coins were made in 1986, also without a mint mark.
West Point Gets A Mark
Still not an official US mint, in 1983 West Point struck $10 gold coins commemorating the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. These were the first coins to bear a “W” mint mark. They were also the first legal gold coins struck by the US after gold coinage was outlawed in 1933.
The West Point Depository was granted official branch mint status on March 31, 1988, the same year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
West Point Products
Today the West Point Mint manufactures proof and uncirculated American Eagle Bullion coins in silver, gold, and platinum as well as gold and silver commemorative coins of various designs. Beginning in 2006, the West Point Mint began making American Buffalo 24-carat gold bullion coins. It also struck the first gold and platinum bimetallic coin in 2000.
In 1996 West Point made about 1.5 million Roosevelt dimes to commemorate the coin’s 50th anniversary. Bearing the “W” mintmark, the dimes were included in that year’s mint sets but not released for circulation.
In 2014 commemorative Kennedy half dollars were made in both silver and gold on the coin’s 50th anniversary. Another West Point Roosevelt dime was minted in 2015. Combined with a 2015-W dollar, it was part of a three-coin set to commemorate the March of Dimes.
The West Point Depository and Mint Building
The West Point facility sits on a 4-acre site northwest of the US Military Academy. The original 1937 structure was a one-story building with reinforced concrete walls. A second story was added in 2005 including guard posts at each corner for security. Unlike other mint facilities, the building’s architecture is utilitarian, a reminder that it still acts as a depository for large amounts of bullion. Because of that, the facility is not open to the public and tours are not offered.
