Congress enacted legislation in 1792 that authorized the newly formed United States of America to mint its own currency. The United States Mint at Philadelphia was the third building erected by the newly formed government whose Declaration of Independence was signed only a few blocks down the street. The first U.S. coins minted were copper cents and half cents of 1793 soley for local commerce in the Colonies. In the early days all minting was done by hand or with the use of horsepower. In 1836, the first steam operated coin press arrived at the Philadelphia Mint. Soon the mint was able to produce 100 coins per minute. Over the years, the mint expanded it's facilities and capacity. Large metal bricks of silver and gold were used to produce Silver Dollars and US Gold, legal tender coins. The Philadelphia Mint is known as the "mother mint" and for decades was the only U.S. Mint facility. For that reason, the coins minted there exhibited no "mint mark." In 1838 the New Orleans Mint was opened to serve the Southern States and began the tradition of branch mints putting their unique "mint mark" on each coin. Sadly, very few of the earliest dated coins exist to this day. The hobby of coin collecting simply didn't exist at a time when saving a $20 Liberty gold piece was the equivalent of putting away a month's salary.

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