Old U.S. Mint
A National Historic Landmark

The Old U.S. Mint holds the distinct title of being the only mint to produce American and Confederate coinage. A product of Andrew Jackson's "Bank War" and westward expansion, the mint was built in 1835 and constructed on the site of Fort St. Charles. It was designed by William Strickland of Philadelphia, who also designed the Second Bank of the U.S., the Philadelphia Mint, and the Tennessee State Capitol. The simplified, classical style of the building is reflective of Strickland's preferences and the Greek Revival era. Despite designing the building, Strickland did not oversee construction and never visited the site. Unfortunately, he did not take into account the soft soil of New Orleans in his design, forcing the mint to undergo numerous repairs. Minting began in 1838 and continued until Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861. Afterwards, the mint was transferred to the Confederacy and used to mint Confederate coinage and house troops. This did not last very long, however, as New Orleans was occupied by federal forces early in the war. After the Civil War, the mint resumed full operations by 1879 and was the only southern mint to reopen after the war. In 1909, minting ceased and the building was used for a number of official purposes until it was transferred to the state in 1966. In 1981, the mint opened to the public as a State museum site. The Old U.S. Mint is currently the location of the Louisiana Historical Center, The New Orleans Jazz Club Collections of the Louisiana State Museum, and the new performing arts center. Here is a link to the Music at the Mint page for more information http://musicatthemint.org/

Address: 400 Esplanade Ave. New Orleans, LA 70116 Google Map Bing Map Phone: 504-568-6993 1-800-568-6968 Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10 am - 4:30 pm. Closed Monday and state holidays. Admissions: Adults $6 Students, Senior Citizens, Active Military $5 Children 12 and under Free Groups of 15 or more w/ reservations 20% discount School groups w/ reservations Free Purchase tickets for two or more museums 20% discount AAA membership discount, with card 10% discount Special Note: The Cabildo, Presbytere and Old U.S. Mint are wheelchair accessible. Individuals with special needs are requested to contact Museum staff members to make other arrangements.

Article on the New Orleans Mint in the magazine Numismatist (PDF)

click for details running through 2012