About this event
Join us for a behind the scenes tour of the Old San Francisco Mint. Just now open to the general public. Tour the mint and experience the history and get a look inside, hear the plans for the facility, and the progress thus far. We will be touring the facility on July 28th, 2012 at 11:00am for a one hour tour for a cost of $15 each. Parking is available at the 5th & Mission garage. After the tour, we will have a no-host lunch at the famous 'Wichcraft for their creative soup and sandwiches. It will be a day of learning and fun!
Event requirements
A bit of History: From 1874 to 1937, the second United States Mint in San Francisco (now known as the "Old Mint") was the most active mint in the United States. In 1877, over fifty-million dollars in coins were produced. By the 1930s, one-third of the nation's gold reserves were stored at the Old Mint.
The Second United States Mint in San Francisco occupies a central role in San Francisco history. In 1869, Congress had appropriated $300,000 to acquire a new site at Fifth and Mission Streets and construct a building. Plans were drawn under the supervision of Alfred B. Mullet, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1866 to 1874. Mullett's design was Classical Greek Revival, Doric columns and Roman scale and proportions. Sandstone from Newcastle Island in British Columbia was shipped in by three schooners for the facing of the upper floors and for the six colossal columns on the portico. The basement walls were of granite from the Griffith Quarry in Penryn, Placer County, California. On May 26, 1870, the cornerstone of the Mint was laid. The building opened on a rainy Saturday, November 5, 1874. The mint survived the severe earthquake of 1906 due to the Mullet's design. By 1934, one third of the United States' gold reserve was stored in the vaults of the San Francisco Mint.
Preserving the Old Mint
After minting operations were transferred to the new San Francisco Mint on Duboce Avenue in 1937, the Treasury Department and other government agencies occupied the building. In 1961 the “Old Mint,” as it became known locally, was designated a National Historic Landmark.
In 2003, The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society's plan to renovate the building and establish a permanent home for the San Francisco Museum won unanimous support from the Mayor's Old Mint Task Force.
Click here for more information about The Old Mint.
