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Denver Mint Takes 43 Years to Strike 1st CoinThe Denver Mint, like the mints at Charlotte, Dahlonega, San Francisco, and Carson City, came into existence because precious metals were found nearby. But more than forty-three years passed from the day President Lincoln signed off on the Denver Mint in April of 1862, until the first coins were struck in February of 1906.The reason usually given is that Denver, located way out in the wild, wild west, was not secure enough for the minting of gold and silver coins. And even if it was, the distribution of those coins would be a perpetual incentive for robbery. But couldn’t the same be said for San Francisco? Certainly Carson City was a rip roaring location. What about it? Simply put, Carson City had a champion for its cause -- the relentless and able Abe Curry continuously lobbying Washington. And San Francisco had a crowd of private minters, many of which produced an inferior – even fraudulent – coinage for the government to deal with.
Denver had only one private minter that lasted more than a summer -- Clark, Gruber & Co. – well known for its integrity and its high quality product. During the interim, this firm was invited to become the US Assay Office, and ultimately provided their building, equipment, and personnel for the first local federal mint in 1863, pictured at the top of this page. But still, no Denver coins were struck until two years after the second US Mint in Denver was built, in the first decade of the 20th century. The only output of the first Denver mint were gold bars of excellent quality. But these were made for depositors of raw gold, who likely used the bars as convenient storage. It is strange that the government went to the trouble of establishing a relationship with Clark, Gruber & Co. in the first place. It has been suggested that the company was “elbowed out” of coin production when it became an assay office. Does this imply an ulterior motive? A hidden agenda? Whose would that be? And why? Inquiring minds may want to know, but so far, they haven’t found out.
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