The 2006 San Francisco Old Mint $5 Gold Coin was issued to mark 100 years after the building survived the 1906 earthquake and fire. As the only financial institution to survive the tragedy, the Old Mint Building played an important role in rebuilding San Francisco as the treasury for disaster relief funds.
The obverse of the gold coin portrays the portico of the San Francisco Mint, based on an 1869 construction drawing by Supervising Architect A.B. Mullet. The inscriptions read “Liberty”, “1906″, “2006″, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Centennial.” The reverse of the coin is based on Christian Gobrecht’s 1906 Coronet Liberty Half Eagle reverse. Inscriptions read “United States of America” and “Five D.” A ribbon above the eagle includes the motto “In God We Trust”.
US Mint sales of the San Francisco Old Mint Gold Coins began on August 15, 2006. Both the proof and uncirculated versions were produced at the San Francisco Mint and carry the “S” mint mark. This represented the first commemorative gold coin minted in San Francisco since the 1984 Olympic $10 Gold Coins.
For the first two months of sales, the coins were available at pre-issue discount pricing, after which regular pricing went into effect. Surcharges added to the cost of each coin were payable to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for the rehabilitation of the Old Mint as a city museum and coin and gold rush museum.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Charles Vickers after A.B. Mullet (obverse), Joseph Menna after Christian Gobrecht (reverse)
Weight: 8.3590 g
Composition: 90% gold (0.242 ounces of gold)
Diameter: 21.6 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 100,000
2006-S Uncirculated San Francisco Old Mint $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $220.00
Regular Price: $245.00
Final Mintage: 17,500
2006-S Proof San Francisco Old Mint $5 Gold Coin
Pre-Issue Price: $230.00
Regular Price: $255.00
Final Mintage: 44,174
The 2006 Old San Francisco Mint Silver Dollar was issued along with a $5 gold coin to mark the centennial of the building’s survival of the 1906 earthquake and fire. The so-called “Granite Lady” was also viewed as instrumental in helping the city recover following the disaster.
The silver dollar features the Old San Francisco Mint from the left corner of the building. The design was originally portrayed on a medal designed by Sheryl J. Winter. The inscriptions read “Liberty”, “E Pluribus Unum”, the dual dates “1906 – 2006″, “Old Mint The Granite Lady”, and “Instrumental in San Francisco’s Recovery”.
The reverse of the coin is a copy of the reverse design of the Morgan Dollar, which was issued from 1878 to 1921 and produced for many years at the San Francisco Mint. A new model was created by Joseph Menna for the original by George T. Morgan design. The reverse inscriptions include “United States of America”, “In God We Trust”, and “One Dollar”.
US Mint sales for the Old San Francisco Mint Dollars began on August 15, 2006. Proof and uncirculated versions were offered individually. The proof version of the coin was also included in the 2006 United States Mint American Legacy Collection, which was priced at $135 and limited to 50,000 units.
Surcharges added to the cost of each commemorative coin were distributed to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for the rehabilitation of the Old Mint as a city museum and coin and gold rush museum.
Coin Specifications
Designer: Sheryl Winter (obverse), Joseph Menna after George T. Morgan (reverse)
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 500,000
2006-S Uncirculated San Francisco Old Mint Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price: $33.00
Regular Price: $35.00
Final Mintage: 67,100
2006-S Proof San Francisco Old Mint Silver Dollar
Pre-Issue Price:$35.00
Regular Price: $39.00
Final Mintage: 160,870
The 2006 Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar was issued for the 300th anniversary of this important person in American history. Two different silver dollar designs were released featuring Benjamin Franklin in his younger years as a scientist and his older years as a statesman and Founding Father.
The Benjamin Franklin “Scientist” Silver Dollar (pictured above) features an image of him as a young man flying a kite, representing his experiments with lightning on the obverse. Inscriptions read “Liberty”, “1706 – 2006″, “In God We Trust”, and “Benjamin Franklin Scientist”. The reverse features Franklin’s famous political cartoon featuring a snake cut apart with the caption “Join, or Die”. This was intended to communicate that colonial unity was a matter of life and death. Inscriptions above read “United States of America” and “E Pluribus Unum”, and below “One Dollar”. The obverse was designed by Norman E. Nemeth and the reverse was designed by Charles Vickers.
The Benjamin Franklin “Founding Father” Silver Dollar (pictured below) features a head and shoulders portrait of an older Franklin with his signature reproduced below. He had been the only person to sign all four major documents instrumental to founding the United States- the Constitution, the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of Alliance, and Amity and Commerce. Inscriptions read “Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary”,”1706 – 2006″, and “In God We Trust”. The reverse design features a copy of a 1776 Continental Dollar with modern lettering around the rim reading “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “One Dollar”. The obverse was designed by Don Everhart and the reverse was designed by Donna Weaver.
The maximum authorized mintage for the Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollars was 500,000 coins, across both designs. Proof and uncirculated versions were produced at the Philadelphia Mint, as a nod to Franklin’s ties to the city. The US Mint sold the coins individually beginning on January 17, 2006, the exact 300th anniversary of Franklin’s birth.
The coins were also included in some specially issued sets. The proof version of the Founding Father coin was included in the 2006 American Legacy Collection. The uncirculated version of the Scientist coin was included in a Coin & Chronicles Set, which included newly released U.S. postage stamps featuring Franklin and a reproduction of the 1758 edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack. These special sets were each limited to production of 50,000 units.
Coin Specifications
Designer (Scientist): Norman E. Nemeth (obverse), Charles L. Vickers (reverse)
Designer (Founding Father): Don Everhart (obverse), Donna Weaver (reverse)
Weight: 26.7300 g
Composition: 90% Silver (0.7736 ounces of silver)
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 500,000 (across both designs)
2006-P Uncirculated Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar, Scientist
Pre-Issue Price: $33.00
Regular Price: $35.00
Final Mintage: 58,000
2006-P Proof Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar, Scientist
Pre-Issue Price:$35.00
Regular Price: $39.00
Final Mintage: 142,000
2006-P Uncirculated Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar, Founding Father
Pre-Issue Price: $33.00
Regular Price: $35.00
Final Mintage: 58,000
2006-P Proof Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar, Founding Father
Pre-Issue Price:$35.00
Regular Price: $39.00
Final Mintage: 142,000
2006 Benjamin Franklin Silver Dollar - Founding Father
