From a national viewpoint the old mint buildings are the most historical in the United States, because they were the first erected by the authority of the Federal Government for public use. It was the sole United States Mint from 1792 to 1833. The corner-stone was laid July 31, 1792, and presumably by David Rittenhouse, the celebrated astronomer and philosopher and first director of the mint. The achievements of Rittenhouse very readily place him in the same distinguished class as Benjamin Franklin.
The ground on which the first United States mint buildings stand was sold by William Penn to the Pennsylvania Land Company, and transferred to it by deed dated August 12, 1699, “in the 11th year of our Sovereign Lord King William III, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland.”
The Pennsylvania Land Company then consisted of Tobias Collett, haberdasher; Michael Russell, weaver; Daniel Quare, watchmaker, and Henry Goldney, linendraper, all of London, England.
The deed was signed by Penn August 17, 1699, and was stamped with two six-penny stamps. The consideration was 2,000 pounds. Herbert Springett, Wm. Martin and Wm. Springett acted as witnesses.
The mint grounds are part of “six inland city lots, lying between the two rivers, Delaware and Schuylkill.”
This deed, in addition to the six city lots which were evidently thrown in as a bonus, conveyed two river front lots, one on the Delaware and one on the Schuylkill, also 60,310 acres of land, variously and indefinitely located for the greater part. Two hundred and ten acres of this land was granted by warrant to Richard Noble, “old renter,” by Penn the 14th day of the 5th month, 1683, and afterwards by a patent to Noble the 5th day of the 6th month, 1685, by Thomas Lloyd, James Claypoole and Robert Turner, commissioners for Penn.
Another parcel of 100 acres of this land was part of a tract of 309 acres, “granted by an order from New York,” and surveyed on or about the 12th day of May, 1679, unto Wm. Clark, and afterwards disposed of to Richard Noble, and which was on the 8th day of the 8th month, 1689, granted and confirmed unto Noble by Wm. Markham and John Goodson, commissioners for Penn.
The 310 acres were transferred to Penn by Noble February 22, 1695.