A penny for your thoughts? How about 8 million a day! That's how many pretty copper coins the U.S. Mint pumps out each day in Philadelphia.
In fact, at our facility alone more than 28 million mini metal pieces are created, stamped, etched and polished in the press room.
Action News got a rare behind the scenes peek at where your pocket change is born.
"It takes a lot of manufacturing work to get it to being a coin, and it all starts here," said Joe Falls.
The inside look was as rare as some of the coins on display in the mint's shiny new exhibit.
"What we do touches every American, and the people who work here have pride and passion in what they do, and we wanted to tell that story," said Tom Jurkowsky, Director of Public Affairs.
Many people aren't aware that Philadelphia is the only mint with in-house artisans, the creative minds that sketch, sculpt and craft the faces of our change.
"We are the ones who design the portraits that go on the coins," said artist Joseph Menna. The millions and billions of coins that we create, everything literally comes from this room.
Tom Jurkowsky says it cost about $3.9 million dollars to shine up our public tour.
"We did this on time and on budget, and I am really proud of that. We were very judicious," Jurkowsky said.
It took about two years, and he says the "change" couldn't have come sooner.
"It really was, I hate to use the term embarrassment, but it was an embarrassment," Tom said. "I am very proud of this. We had hundreds and hundreds of artifacts in storage that we were able to take out and appropriately displayed.
The new exhibit opens to the public on July 3rd.
