Historic coin press in Carson City runs last minting of 2018
Operators of the historic Coin Press No. 1 inside Carson City's Nevada State Museum began striking silver medallions Friday with a commemorative Abraham Curry design created just for the occasion.
On the last Friday of each month, the Nevada State Museum runs the coin press, which now mints unique collectible medallions. The coin press, the only minting machine of its era still in operation, has been striking coins or medallions for more than a century and a half.
This month's minting, the last of 2018, features a limited-edition medallion commemorating Abraham Curry, Carson City's founder and first superintendent of its U.S. Mint branch, located in the same historic building as the Nevada State Museum today.
Curry, in fact, played a significant role in the construction and opening of the mint building.
Only 2,000 Abraham Curry medallions, using .999 silver, will be struck.
Carson City's U.S. Mint opened on Jan. 6, 1870, producing silver and gold federal currency valued at close to $50 million over more than two decades of production. The United States government later closed the Carson City Mint in 1893.
But Coin Press No. 1, which arrived in Carson City in late 1868, has remained a part of the old mint building ever since. Minting demonstrations using the historic press continue to be one of the museum's most popular exhibits.
For more information about Coin Press No. 1 or other exhibits at the Nevada State Museum, go to nvculture.org/nevadastatemuseumcarsoncity.