New Orleans Mint Intro



The United States Mint New Orleans was built in 1835 and conducted United States coinage operations from 1837 until 1861 when Louisiana seceded from the Union. The Mint remained closed throughout the Civil War and Reconstruction period, reopening and once again producing Unites States coinage in 1879.

Only one silver ingot is known to have been produced at the United States Mint New Orleans, pictured below. While studying my 1892 United States Assay Office New York silver ingot with mining and ingot specialist Fred Holabird, he mentioned that he had handled the silver ingot from the United States Mint New Orleans. Fred worked to acquire the ingot and ultimately place it in the United States Mint New Orleans Museum which is now the Louisiana State Museum.

The lone United States Mint New Orleans silver ingot is No. 1, weighs 9.85 ozs and is 999 fine. The Louisiana State Museum believes the ingot was produced as a commemorative presentation piece sometime after the Civil War. They have been very helpful in my efforts to include the United States Mint New Orleans in SILVERINGOTS.COM  The photo below is  courtesy of the Collections of the Louisiana State Museum.