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SECURITY AT THE FIRST U S MINT

By Cameron Kiefer, Visalia. CA

With new error coins appearing weekly and an arrest of a Philadelphia Mint Employee, hobbyists are questioning the tight security procedures at the Philadelphia Mint. But back in 1792, when the first Philadelphia Mint was built, everything was safe and secure.

Much of what we know about the first Mint’s security procedures are found in the Mint’s rules and regulations of 1792 which were signed by all the Employees. It set up rules for the day and night watchman who were given the task of protecting the mint from embezzlement or robbery.

The day watch lasted from 5:00AM until 6:00PM, when the night watch would come on duty and work till morning. When all employees had left, the “day watch shall carefully close and bolt all doors and shutters, and remain with the dog inside till the night watch takes his place”.

Who is this dog you may ask? Well, the first watch dog of the U S Mint was a savage beast named Nero. On January 7, 1793, Henry Voigt, Superintendent and Chief Coiner paid three dollars to have him protect the mint. Employees were not allowed to feed Nero at lunch or at any time to keep him from becoming friendly with an employee.

In addition to the dog, each watchman was armed with a dirk and loaded pistol. “If an attempt is made on the mint, he shall act conformably to his secret instructions.” These instructions are still not known today.

The Mint had on hand an arsenal of weapons which were locked in an arms chest in the basement. The chest contained a musket, bayonet, two pistols and a sword which was to be checked once a month by a mint officer.

Mint vaults were stored in the basement of the building. Not much is known about them, but in a book entitled “History of the First United States Mint” by Frank H Stewart, gives a picture of the burglar proof vault before the buildings destruction. It was a vault within a vault that was kept under two separate locks and keys by different mint employees. Surprisingly, it was made from normal brick and mortar that probably would not stand up to any present day thief.

With so much mint security, did anyone try to rob the mint? Stay tuned to a future issue when the author will address each unsuccessful attempt.