Inside the U.S. Mint with Don Bennett

0:04 Welcome to AMSEcast, coming to you from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a global leader in science, technology, and innovation. My name is Alan Lowe, director of the American Museum of Science and Energy, and the K-25 History Center. Each episode of AMSEcast presents world-renowned authors, scientists, historians, policymakers, and everyone in between, sharing their insights on a variety of fascinating topics. Welcome to a special edition of AMSEcast as we celebrate 250 years of American innovation. With much appreciated support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, we’re undertaking a series of AMSEcast interviews focusing on American innovations as part of our commemoration of the nation’s semi-quincentennial.

0:55 I’m honored to be joined on this episode at the U.S. Mint in Washington, D.C. By Don Bennett, the deputy associate director of the Mint’s Manufacturing Directorate. With over 30 years in manufacturing, supply chain, and process improvement, Don previously worked with Oasis Corporation and Pinnacle Data Systems before joining the Mint in 2008. Don, we’re really honored to have you join us and excited to be here at the Mint. Thank you, Alan. So, tell us, I want to learn first a bit about the Mint. Where does the Mint reside within the organization of the U.S. Government and what are the components of it? Well, the Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury and we are responsible for producing the coins and the metals for the United States.

1:37 And you have this location here. Where are the other—there are other locations, I know, around the country. Yeah, the other locations around the country, so we have the Philadelphia Mint in Pennsylvania. The nation’s first Mint. And Philadelphia produces coins and metal dies. They also mint circulating coins, numismatic collector coins, and products, commemorative coins as authorized by Congress, metals for congressional gold metals, bronze, silver. And the Philadelphia Mint is the starting point for all coin programs. So, that’s where all of our medallic artists are housed, R&D, tooling, and they offer in-person and virtual tours, and a gift shop to purchase souvenirs and products there. And that’s Philadelphia. The Second Mint is Denver, Colorado, the Denver Mint.

2:19 And they produce coin and metal dies. They mint circulating numismatic products and commemorative coins as authorized by Congress. And they also offer in-person and virtual tours. And it’s actually a pretty cool tour in Denver. You actually get to walk through the facility more. I think we’ll have to go on a national tour, Matt, and tour all these facilities. Sorry, go ahead [laugh] . Yeah. Really, really cool. Anytime. And then we have the West Point Mint, and that’s near the U.S. Military Academy in New York. And West Point Mint stores and mints silver, gold, and platinum bullion, along with American Buffalo gold bullion coins. And additionally, West Point Mint’s American Eagle Proof and uncirculated coins in gold, silver, and platinum, and palladium, and commemorative coins as authorized by Congress. The next Mint is in San Francisco.

3:01 The San Francisco Mint is in San Francisco, California, and they mint clad-in-silver proof sets, silver metals, commemorative coins as authorized by Congress. So, San Francisco is a numismatic Mint. They don’t do any circulating or circulation for the FRB. In addition, we store a circulating reserve coin in secure locations around the country to support the FRB Federal Reserve Board demand. I see. Now, how do you relate to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing? So, the U.S. Mint is one of two agencies that manufacture physical money. The other bureau is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the other facility which prints paper currency. So, the difference. I see. Okay. So, when we see new coin or metal designs, how often are those created, or the old ones revised?

3:47 So, good question. So, the Mint gets its authority to design and mint coin and metals via legislation from Congress and approval from the Secretary of the Treasury. New coin and metal designs are introduced yearly. Examples are Native American Dollar, the AWQ, or American Women’s Quarters Program, commemoratives, congressional gold metals. Some older designs are often reintroduced or revised to commemorate anniversaries or specific historical milestones. We also reintroduce coins due to their popularity with the collector community. So, most recent example is the Morgan and Peace Dollar coin, which is a very popular program. One of our flagship products is our American Eagle Coin Program, which a lot of collectors would know what that is, and I’m sure you guys do too. The law for that program allows you to make a design change every 25 years.

4:31 So, we just recently did—well, we did one in 2022 is the last design change for that. So, I know the coin collecting community is gigantic. Yes [laugh] . Right [laugh] . Right. Yes. So, when you look back, I don’t want to ask too much, but when you go back to the beginning of our nation, what have been the major innovations in how we’ve made coins, how we produce them over time? So, another good question, but robotics automated packaging assembly is new to us. That is something that’s reduced costs and improved our quality. We have high speed presses. Our circulating coins are capable of producing 750 coins a minute. Vision systems for quality inspections to validate that, you know, coins are the correct coins.

5:15 We have laser technology now for our die processing and production. And then chrome plating, if—you know, chrome plating from the automotive industry is something we used to do to dies to protect them to get longer die life. Not a very clean process, [laugh] so that has been replaced by a process called PVD, Poly Vapor Deposition coating on dies. So, that’s automated. And then, you know, just more precision equipment. We use CNC machines and other equipment, so the hand milling is no longer. Those are the old days. Those are the old days. So, you’ve kept up with really amazing technological change in this country, and the Mint has been there with it, right? Yes.

5:55 Yep. So, what about—speaking of changes in the country, digital economy is changing everything, it seems like. How has that affected the operations of the Mint in terms of physical coins? Well, cash is king, so we continue to produce billions of circulating coins yearly, which will remain in circulation for decades. So, there’s still going to be a need for coins and for paper currency into the foreseeable future. Now, you know, one thing I was really excited when—I was excited just to get to talk to you, and come to the Mint, but also I realized that the Mint is doing the American Innovation Dollar Coin Program. What led the Mint to decide to do that? And how are those designs conceived?

6:36 So, like many of the Mint’s programs, the American Innovation Dollar Coin Program was created by a public law, 115-197, signed in 2018. The law requires the Mint to issue one dollar coins for each of the 50 states, the territories, and the District of Columbia, highlighting an innovation or innovator or group of innovators for each jurisdiction. What are some of the topics covered in that so far? We’ve had 25 released to date. The very first one in 2018 was the first patent for Samuel Hopkins, an innovator. And it’s going down, you know, one each year. So, in 2019, number two was the Annie Jump Canyon. She was an innovator. In 2020, number seven was Massachusetts, the telephone.

7:19 That’s pretty, that’s pretty important. Yeah, [laugh] yeah, so that was a big one. 2021, number 13 was the innovation of higher education. In 2022, one of them, number 16 was Kentucky, and it was the Kentucky bluegrass. Yes, that’s my home state. So, I’m going to say, we have many great things starting in Kentucky, but that’s a— [laugh] . Well, and, you know, my colleagues would get on me, my Michigan fans, but I’m from Ohio, so in 2023, number 18, Ohio, the Underground Railroad was [unintelligible] on those coins. Most recent in 2024 was Missouri, George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist, an innovator. And one thing to note on the American Innovation Program is that each year, the common obverse of the coin includes a unique gear, and that privy marks, you know, specific to that year.

8:04 So, that lets the collectors know what year that coin was produced, as opposed to on the edge of the coin where it’s really difficult to see the edge. I will note that in the coming year, one of our interviews on this series is with the superintendent of the George Washington Carver site in Missouri, so we’re looking forward to that for sure. And that’s a great list already of innovators in that one dollar coin program. So, how do people go about finding that or other things that you provide here at the Mint, collectors or other people, or say, “Hey, I want to go out and get that one.” So, they can go to the US Mint catalog at www.usmint.gov. I’m going to do that, of course, and now I’m obsessed. I’ll have to get all those. So, you know, this whole series is part of the semi-quincentennial, the 250th birthday of America.

8:49 How is the Mint commemorating that? Are you commemorating that? Absolutely. So, the Secretary of the Treasury approved a design selection process for the coin program that was developed in consultation with the United States Semi-Quincentennial Commission. And this is to create and evaluate how that messaging of this historic milestone is best conveyed through our coins, the artwork itself. The Mint will depend on its talented artists in the federal advisory committees. And we are redesigning our dime, quarter, and half dollar. I’ve seen the designs and they look—they’re stunning. And you’ll tell us all about them right now, no [laugh] ? I can’t go into too much detail for now, but look for a press release from the Mint in the future, showcasing these works of art. That’s fantastic.

9:29 Well, I’m excited that you all are doing that. It’s kind of sneaking up on us, the 250th, but I’m glad that so many people are paying attention to that very important birthday for our country. I’m glad that you’re doing what you do here, now. I really appreciate your time with us. You need to now show me the money [laugh] . [laugh] . No, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate you joining us on AMSEcast. It was my pleasure. Thank you. Thank you for joining us on this episode of AMSEcast. For more information on this topic or any others, you can always visit us at AMSE.org or find, like, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I invite you to visit the American Museum of Science and Energy and the K-25 History Center in person.

10:14 You can also shop at our online store and become a member at AMSE.org. Thanks to our production team with Matt Mullins, plus our supportive colleagues at the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Environmental Management, and Office of Legacy Management, as well as Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, NNSA, and the AMSE Foundation. And of course, thanks to our wonderful guests today, and to all of you for listening. I hope you’ll join us for the next episode of AMSEcast. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, I would like to ask that you consider becoming a member of the 117 Society, the newest membership opportunity offered by the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation.

10:58 By joining the 117 Society, you will help us continue this podcast and our other innovative programming. You will support the expansion of our vitally important educational outreach, including virtual classes, and you will help ensure that both the American Museum of Science and Energy and the K-25 History Center can continue to provide world-class exhibits to our community and to the world. Benefits of membership includes special access to video and audio content, and 117 Society merchandise, as well as all the benefits of our Atom Splitter Membership Level. To learn more, go to AMSE.org. The 117 Society is vital to the future of AMSE and the K-25 History Center.

11:40 I hope you will consider joining, and thank you very much.