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America The Beautiful Shawnee Interview

Sculptor/Engraver Jim Licaretz from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia discusses the design for the Shawnee National Forest quarter in the America the Beautiful series.

America The Beautiful Shawnee B Roll

B-roll showing design and production of the America the Beautiful "Shawnee" quarter.

The Mint Means... Series, Ep. 01

San Francisco employees of the U.S. Mint discuss what the Mint means to them.

Digital Design & Scanning B Roll

Production B-roll from the United States Mint in Philadelphia showing the digital design and laser scanning process.

After the sculpting process produces plaster or digital coin models, the finished models are reviewed for defects such as misaligned letters, missing or misinterpreted design elements, and manufacturability. After approval, a new project is created, and the data is placed in a comprehensive coin database and released to manufacturing.

Hub & Die Process B Roll

This B-Roll begins with the process of making "hubs," which is done by CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines using cutting tools. Once a master hub is machined, the Mint uses it to create dies, which have negative images of the coin's front or back, and will be used to strike the coin. Coin presses use 35-100 tons of pressure (depending on denomination of the coin) to leave the final impression on the coin.

Proof Coin Production B Roll

Proof coin production at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, Calif.

Making Money Series, Ep. 01

Ep. 1 in the "Making Money" series shows proof coin production at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, Calif. Plant Manager Dave Jacobs also discusses the mission of the Mint in San Francisco and the unique nature of its work.

My Favorite... Series, Ep. 01

San Francisco employees of the U.S. Mint discuss their favorite coins or Mint programs.

Love My Job Series, Ep. 01

San Francisco employees of the U.S. Mint discuss what they love about their jobs.

Cumberland Gap Sculptor Interview

Interview with sculptor/engraver Joe Menna, who sculpted the America the Beautiful "Cumberland Gap" quarter.

WWI Centennial 2018 Commemorative Coin Design Competition

The U.S. Mint is calling on artists to design a coin commemorating the centennial of America's involvement in WWI.

Blanking B Roll

All coins start as a sheet of metal. The United States Mint buys metal strips that are about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long, and these strips are wound into giant coils, which are easier to move. Each coil is fed through a blanking press, which punches out round discs called "blanks." The strip of metal that's left over is called webbing, and it will be shredded and recycled—usually into another sheet of metal.
The Mint doesn't make blanks for pennies—it buys them. However, the Mint supplies fabricators with the copper and zinc that are used to make the penny blanks.

Cumberland Gap B Roll

B-roll showing production of the Cumberland Gap quarter from the 2016 America the Beautiful Quarter series.

Upsetting Mill & Coining Press B Roll

The upsetting mill raises rims around the edge on both sides of the blank and reduces it to a size that fits into the coining press collar. In addition, the raised rim helps protect the coin’s design. The highest point of any coin design is always lower than the coin’s rim. Raising the rim hardens the edge and helps keep the coin from eroding. This also helps the coins to stack.

The next stage of production is coining. This is the process of adding the design to the planchet. To strike the metal, one die (known as the anvil) is held motionless and the other die (known as the hammer) strikes the planchet‘s surface. The anvil is usually a reverse (or tails) die, and the hammer is the obverse (or heads).

Annealing & Whirlaway B Roll

This b-roll shows the blanks arriving at the annealing furnace, where they will be heated to soften the metal. [NOTE: For most coins, annealing is done in a large furnace. However, because this process is difficult to capture on film, this video includes a shot of a 3-inch medal being annealed by a blowtorch. Because medals are made in lower quantities, it is possible to anneal them by hand.]

From the furnace, the blanks drop into a quench tank to reduce the temperature. Next, the blanks travel through a huge cylindrical tube called the "whirlaway." Suspended high above the ground, these tubes tilt at a 45-degree angle toward the washing and drying station. As the blanks travel up the whirlaway toward the washer, excess liquid is drained.

After leaving the whirlaway, blanks are placed in a washing machine. Similar to the washing machine process you might have in your home, the blanks go through a series of cycles that soak and shake the blanks in various chemicals. This is to remove any oxides, tarnish, discoloration or contamination that remains after annealing.

Counting And Bagging B Roll

In the final stage of production, an automatic counting machine, fitted with a sensor that detects correct products, counts the coins and drops them into large bags. The filled coin bags are weighed on a scale to make sure the contents are properly packed.

The bags are sealed shut, loaded onto pallets, and taken by forklifts to the vaults for storage, where they remain in inventory until needed in circulation.

Baseball Hall Of Fame Coin Designer Interview

Artist Cassie McFarland talks about designing the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin.

Sculpting B Roll

This B-roll package shows sculptor-engravers at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

After a design is approved, a United States Mint’s sculptor-engraver can create a model using either traditional methods or newer digital methods. With traditional tools, the drawing is sculpted in clay and refined using plaster, and the resulting three-dimensional bas-relief sculpt is then digitally scanned. Using digital methods, the relief is directly modeled using a variety of software tools. Either method produces a digital database that is measured and verified to confirm adherence to all design and manufacturing guidelines.

National Park Service 100th Anniversary Coin

Sculptor-engravers Joe Menna and Don Everheart discuss working on the National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin.

How Coins Are Made ... For Kids!

Learn how the United States Mint makes coins!

The Mint Means... Series, Ep. 02

Employees at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia discuss what the Mint means to them.

U. S. Mint In Denver, 1949

Love My Job Series, Ep. 02

Employees at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia discuss what they love about their jobs.

West Point Chemist Assayer

In this video from 2011, Supervisor Chemist Jeanette Grogan from the U.S. Mint in West Point talks about assaying (or the testing of metal to determine ingredients and quality).

Making Money Series, Ep. 02

Plant Manager Marc Landry talks about the mission of the Mint in Philadelphia and what is unique about the facility.

My Favorite Series, Ep. 02

Employees in Philadelphia talk about their favorite U.S. Mint coins or programs.

Harpers Ferry Sculptor Interview

Interview with Phebe Hemphill, who sculpted the Harpers Ferry coin for the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

Harpers Ferry B Roll

Production b-roll of the Harpers Ferry coin from the 2016 America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

U. S. Mint Police Training, 2011

This throwback video from 2011 shows U.S. Mint police training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. (Training depicted in this video is accurate as of Dec. 2011 and may not reflect current FLETC methods of instruction or U.S. Mint police standards.)

American Institute Of Architects B Roll

Silent b-roll of the U.S. Mint digitally scanning The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal reverse plaster, designed by Adolph Weinman in 1907.

Father's Day

Mint employees from Philadelphia and Denver talk about their fathers.

Philly Tour Grand Opening, 2012

This throwback video from July 2012 shows the grand opening of the remodeled public tour in Philadelphia.

Auto Tuber Bullion Packaging

This video from the U.S. Mint in West Point, N.Y., shows the "auto tuber" packaging bullion coins.

The Mint Means... Series, Ep. 03

Employees in Denver talk about what the Mint means to them.

The United States Mint

Connecting America through coins since 1792.

Making Money Ep. 04 Denver

Episode 04 in the "Making Money" series looks at the unique role and history of the U.S. Mint in Denver.

Making Money Ep. 03 Circulating Coins

Episode 3 of the "Making Money" series looks at how the United States Mint makes circulating coins.

Theodore Roosevelt ATB Interview

Sculptor-engraver Phebe Hemphill talks about working on the Theodore Roosevelt National Park coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

U. S. Marshals Commemorative Coin B Roll

Production b-roll of the 2015 U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin.

Kisatchie National Forest Quarter B Roll

Production b-roll of the 2015 Kisatchie National Forest quarter.

Everglades National Park B Roll

Production footage of the 2014 Everglades National Park quarter.

Great Sand Dunes National Park B Roll

Production footage of the 2014 Great Sand Dunes National Park quarter.

Arches National Park B Roll

Production footage of the 2014 Arches National Park quarter.

Shenandoah National Park Quarter B Roll

Production footage of the 2014 Shenandoah National Park quarter.

Penny Production B Roll 2012

This video shows the United States Mint in Denver producing the Lincoln one-cent coin.

My Favorite Series, Ep. 03

Denver employees discuss their favorite coins or U.S. Mint programs.

Theodore Roosevelt Quarter B Roll

Design and production b-roll of the 2016 Theodore Roosevelt National Park coin from the America the Beautiful Quarters series.

Love My Job Series, Ep. 03

Employees at the U.S. Mint in Denver tell us why they love their jobs.

Breast Cancer Awareness Instagram Video

The United States Mint is proud to announce the 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition.

United States Mint Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition

United States Mint Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition.