"YE OLDE MINT"

As a result of the Coinage Act of 1792, the creation of our very first Mint was entered into law April 2nd of that year. It was built in our new country's capital of Philadelphia. However, there is more to the story... A lot of people do not realize it was the very first building constructed for our new nation. Most people would guess The White House, or Capitol Building, or some Congressional Hall. Nope. It was Ye Olde Mint! In the past 225 years, the Philadelphia Mint has been rebuilt 4 times but "Ye Olde Mint" will always be the first building of our great Nation.

     Why?

Now to the question at hand, why does this matter? It comes down to one thing. Mo' money, Mo' problems! As a fledgling Nation we had to find a standard for trade. Initially most people are thinking internationally but we needed to standardize our money to accurately trade within our own borders! Back when our Nation was just 13 states, many states were producing their own money and even using money from different countries and private mints. Previously, Thomas Jefferson himself had urged Congress to adopt the Spanish Piece of Eight for our monetary purposes. We had to find a way, producing our own standard coinage was the answer.

Back to Good Ol' 2017

The Mint decided to commemorate 225 years with a special coin for 2017. Struck in 24 kt pure gold it's intent is to stun! Boy has it. This announcement from the Mint was just made earlier in January and has been steeped in controversy since. The initial reaction for most people fell into 3 categories. Some saw it as an advertising stunt, some as a disrespect to the iconic Lady Liberty design, yet others see it as a celebration of the diversity that Lady Liberty encompasses. The coin is actually a beginning of a new series featuring Lady Liberty with many ethnic backgrounds. Like it or hate it, the IDEALS for which Lady Liberty stands has always been the backbone of our great Nation.

The Many Looks of Lady Liberty