Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans: Location and History

The Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans is located at:

400 Esplanade Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70116
(French Quarter, at the intersection of Esplanade Ave & Decatur St., bordering French Market)

Historical Significance

• Only mint to produce both U.S. and Confederate coinage (1838–1861 US; 1861 CSA).
• Greek Revival architecture (William Strickland); completed 1838.
• Strategic: New Orleans = busiest export port (cotton, sugar); needed local coinage.
• Operations: 1838–1861 (US), 1861 (CSA), 1879–1909 (US). Assay office until 1942.
• Coins minted: Liberty Seated, Morgan dollars, Barber coinage, gold eagles/double eagles. "O" mintmark.

Current Use: Louisiana State Museum

• Exhibits: Minting machinery, coins, dies, New Orleans jazz history, photography, Carnival, Hurricane Katrina.
• New Orleans Jazz Museum (3rd floor) — Louis Armstrong cornet, Sidney Bechet soprano sax, oral histories, performance space.
• Louisiana Historical Center (archives, maps, notarial records) — research by appointment.

Visiting

• Hours: Tue–Sat 9 AM–4 PM (closed Sun–Mon, state holidays).
• Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors/students/military, free ≤6. Combined ticket with Cabildo, Presbytère, 1850 House.
• Accessibility: Elevator, ramps.
• Parking: Street (limited), French Market garage, Decatur St. lots.

Nearby Landmarks

• French Market (farmers/artisan market, cafes) — adjacent.
• Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral — 3 blocks.
• Ursuline Convent (oldest MS Valley building) — 2 blocks.
• Café du Monde (beignets) — 4 blocks.

A rare survivor of antebellum federal architecture in the Deep South, pivoting from hard money to cultural memory.