The United States began producing coins at the Philadelphia Mint in 1793.
The Mint was authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792, which established the dollar as the basic monetary unit and created a national coinage system. Construction of the first Mint began in Philadelphia, then the United States capital, and operations started the following year.
The earliest products were copper coins, including half cents and cents. Silver and gold coin production expanded later as equipment, personnel, and bullion became available. The Philadelphia facility remained the only United States Mint until branch mints opened in other cities during the nineteenth century.
A common mix-up is the difference between authorization and production: the Mint was legally established in 1792, but it did not begin striking coins until 1793. The Philadelphia Mint is also the only United States Mint that has never used a mint mark.