Historic Landmarks of San Francisco

The Old Mint was actually the second outpost of the U.S. Treasury to be built in San Francisco. The first branch mint was located on Commercial Street.

The Old Mint, designed in the Greek Revival Style by architect Alfred B. Mullett, was constructed in 1869, became a sub-treasury in 1874, which it remained until 1937, when the current mint, located at Market and Duboce Streets, opened. The Old Mint is E-shaped and contains 92,000 square feet of floor space. The new structure was needed to accommodate the vast amounts of gold and silver pouring into the City from the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Comstock region of western Nevada. Sometimes called The Granite Lady, the Old Mint is mostly built of sandstone. The building survived the 1906 earthquake and fire through the valiant efforts of firefighters and Treasury staff; water from an internal well was crucial in saving the edifice.

Since becoming inactive in 1937 the Old Mint has led a somewhat checkered existence. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and a State Historic Landmark in 1977. It was open to visitors as a museum off and on until 1993. It was sold by the federal government to the City of San Francisco in 2003 for one dollar!

It is currently used as a venue for conferences, private parties, weddings and the like. Long term plans include renovation and reopening as an historical museum.

The historical marker is located inside the building and may not be accessible to the general public at this time.