northwest territorial mint

Nevada now claims the country’s largest private mint, which creates custom coins among other treasures.

By PRESS RELEASE | March/April 2011

Photo: PR (Governor Sandoval tours the Northwest Territorial Mint)

Since 1984, Northwest Territorial Mint has designed and created die-struck coins, medallions, knives, and related products for individuals, private clubs and groups, businesses, and government entities around the world, including all branches of America’s armed forces.

Northwest Territorial Mint relocated from the Seattle area to Dayton, Nevada in 2009 at the height of one of the most trying economic periods in history. The move came as a result of two things. First, Northwest Territorial Mint faced a tax issue that no longer made minting operations in Washington feasible. Second, Medallic Art Company, a more than 100-year-old company with a rich history of custom medal striking, offered to sell, which provided an ideal 118,000 square foot property for minting operations in Dayton.

As a result, Nevada now claims the country’s largest private mint, Northwest Territorial Mint, which creates custom coins, medallions and medals, die-struck knives and other unique minted gifts, as well as bulk precious metals, or bullion. Silver bullion is minted in the Dayton location.

Through the relocation, Northwest Territorial Mint retained all of the Medallic Art Company employees, brought in two dozen employees from its former mint operations in Washington and added 80 employees from the area, including Dayton, Carson City, Reno and Sparks.

Since 1903, Medallic Art Company designed and minted some of the most important medals and awards in the United States and the world.

The company continues to operate Medallic Art Company under its stewardship, preserving a more than 100-year history of minting custom medals, including the Pulitzer Prize, Congressional Medal of Honor, inaugural medals for 11 presidents and a single medal minted for Captain Arthur Rostron of the ship Carpathia, awarded by the U.S. Congress for his heroic deeds in rescuing survivors of the Titanic.

The mint houses more than 30 coining presses, including high-speed and hydraulic presses with striking forces between 75 and 1,500 tons, as well as facilities for metal processing,  finishing and plating.

Additionally, the mint at Dayton now hosts the entire design library for both companies, housing an impressive collection of historic and modern medallic dies.

Northwest Territorial Mint is a licensed affiliate of the National Rifle Association, International Association of Fire Fighters, U.S. Border Patrol, Harley Davidson, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Coast Guard and the Boy Scouts of America.

Since 2001, the mint has held a contract with General Services Administration, allowing federal agencies to purchase goods and services directly from Northwest Territorial Mint at discounted pricing.


Read a blog about our tour of the Dayton facility here.