[196]       

[196] -- The United States Mint at Carson City, Nevada

Carson City
  39.16717, -119.7674


"For such an impressive building, the U.S. Mint sure didn't last long. Either way it fits in nicely with old town Carson's quadrant of brazen buildings. Sitting here I have mixed feelings about the seat of Nye County. Here at this esplanade, a giant shape of Nevada complete with 17 carved-out counties and metal state seals representing the respective county seats, stretches from here (at the marker's base) to the main museum entrance. Tonopah looks like it is placed dead center in the middle of Nye County, when in fact, Tonopah barely resides within Nye! Surveyors actually had to carve out a tiny piece of Esmeralda County and truncate it to Nye just so Tonopah can be seated within Nye. The state seal though tells another story." -- Journal Entry, June 2007


Along Robinson Street on the southwest grounds of the Nevada State Museum -- Carson City

Original Date Visited: 7/11/07

Signed: No

Marker History
The photo you see below were taken before a series of major renovations took place on the State Museum grounds. As you can see, [196] previously faced Carson Street on the main park-like grounds of the museum. The marker was set well-back from the sidewalk and visible only by a keen set of eyes from Carson's street view. During this construction the metal plaque was unchanged, but the original "Standard" marker was generously re-painted and moved to the Robinson (southward) side of the Mint building. There isn't an easy way to catch sight of this marker along Carson Street so keep your eyes peeled!

  • The U.S. Mint Building in Carson City
  • The second plaque for 196 can be found at the front door of the building

Exact Description:
The original Carson City building is a formal balanced, sandstone block edifice. Two stories high with a centrally located cupola, the sandstone blocks were quarried at the Nevada State Prison.

On March 3, 1862, Congress passed a bill establishing a branch mint in the territory of Nevada.

The output of the Comstock Lode coupled with the high bullion transportation costs to San Francisco proved the necessity of a branch in Nevada.

From its opening in 1870 to the closure of the coin operations in 1893, coinage amounted to $49, 274,434.30.

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ARROWHEAD TRAIL II


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