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MINTZ’S MINT IN THE BOX MINT CARS - (updated article 1/9/08)
By Bob Mintz

Article has been updated with additonal Trotta Mint Car photos.

Associate Authors and Contributors and Assistance by: Mike Stella, Newt Derby, Stuart Rankin, Joe Endicott, Shannon Sikora, Charles Janiga, Bill Fessenden, Allen Glenney, Dr. Joseph Lechner, Al Otten, Bill Schmeelk, Dennis Clad, Matt Irvin, and Jon Bonds

A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT MINTS:

{The following are excerpts from both the U.S. Mint and Bureau of Engraving websites}
http://www.usmint.gov/
http://www.moneyfactory.com/

United States Mint

"The Congress shall have the Power…To Coin Money." (Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 8.)

When the framers of the U.S. Constitution created a new government for their untried Republic, they realized the critical need for a respected monetary system. Soon after the Constitution's ratification, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton personally prepared plans for a national Mint. On April 2, 1792, Congress passed The Coinage Act, which created the Mint and authorized construction of a Mint building in the nation's capitol, Philadelphia. This was the first federal building erected under the Constitution.

President George Washington appointed Philadelphian David Rittenhouse, a leading American scientist, as the first Director of the Mint. Under Rittenhouse, the Mint produced its first circulating coins -- 11,178 copper cents, which were delivered in March 1793. Soon after, the Mint began issuing gold and silver coins as well. President Washington, who lived only a few blocks from the new Mint, is believed to have donated some of his own silver for minting.

When the United States government began minting coins in 1792, the original Mint facility in Philadelphia was hard-pressed to produce enough currency for our small country.

As the country grew and the demand for coins increased, it became necessary to expand Mint facilities. This expansion was further fueled by the discovery of gold, first in the Southeast and later in the West, and by the need for hard currency, which caused people to mint their own gold coins. In the mid-nineteenth century, additional mints were opened in Charlotte, NC; Dahlonega, GA; New Orleans, LA; and San Francisco, CA. In 1870, the Carson City, NV Mint opened, and in 1904 the Denver, CO Assay Office became a Mint facility. After the Civil War ended, many mint facilities and assay offices were opened in places like Carson City, St. Louis, Seattle, Boise, Helena, Deadwood, Salt Lake City, and New York. Many closed in the early 1900s because better technology and transportation made them unnecessary.

Today, in order to keep our economy flowing smoothly, the U.S. Mint maintains facilities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point, and a bullion depository in Fort Knox, KY.”

Bureau of Engraving

“The establishment of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing can be traced as far back as August 29, 1862, to a single room in the basement of the main Treasury building where two men and four women separated and sealed by hand $1 and $2 United States Notes which had been printed by private bank note companies. Today there are approximately 2,500 employees who work out of two buildings in Washington, D.C. and a new facility located in Fort Worth, Texas.”

A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT MINTZ:

[I would like to dedicate this article to the memories of my father Harry Mintz and grandfather Nathan Miller, both of whom had absolutely no idea what they started with the purchase of a simple toy present for a then four year old, and are now playing trains hopefully with the likes of Joshua Lionel Cowan]--bob

It seems that both TCA and I will be sharing a 50th Anniversary this year.

I never figured that my last name would have any significance with my hobby/obsession. Little did I know that this particular area of collecting would take on a life of its own, as this photo taken at the Central Operating Lines Ltd. in Ronkonkoma L.I., New York shows.

http://www.trainweb.org/centoplines/

My ancestral roots can be traced back to Vienna, Austria for all four grandparents. I did a little research and there was a town or region in Germany known as Mintz, not the Russian town of Minsk, as some of my childhood friends would tease me about. Similar to Italian surnames, many Germanic last names were derived from either the area that you originated from or your occupation; i.e. Miller (my maternal grandfather). One would imagine that metallurgy may have been done in the area of my paternal relatives.

A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT THE MINT CARS:

A mint-type car is first seen in the 1961 catalog on page 31, with a divine-like hand depositing a coin from the heavens into the coffers of the new #6445 Fort Knox Gold Bullion Transport Car through the slot in the roof. This bank was made from the #3435 aquarium car mold. The car was part of set #1649 “027” 5-car “Santa Fe” two unit diesel freight. One would need divine intervention to be able to afford the constant onslaught of mint cars in the distant future.


Retrieving money from this vault would prove difficult for a small child as a Phillips-head screw would need to be removed from one end of the car. Who knew from a Phillips-head screwdriver back when you were 4? And who would allow a 4-year old to play unsupervised with ANY type of screwdriver back in 1958? What 4-year old had “change” back then for that matter. Back when Dad could have been feeding them into an apparatus for serving foods mechanically, when the coin was dropped in the slot of your local Horn & Hardart’s Automat?

 

This would not be the first car to be a piggy-bank, as page 25 from the same catalog would show the new # 6050 savings bank car, or a “safe” or vault type car as Lionel LLC would later re-issue 6-19439, a remake of a Standard gauge piece.

Not to exclude Super-“O” track (“the very best”), a second set #2571 Super “O” 4-car Ft. Knox Special steam freight was produced. The copy mentions “Worth its weight in gold! Stacks of gold bullion are being transported to the vault for safe keeping. Because the cargo is so valuable…a helicopter has been assigned to serve as an “advance scout.””

How curious that a helicopter car would be pulled by a die-cast steam loco!

Page 52 would show our silver colored car as a separate sale item retailing for $5.95 including copy mentioning: ““see-thru” windows which display rows of simulated gold bars on their way to Ft. Knox for safekeeping.”

Truth in advertising laws being many years in the future, was there ever a reason to think that these were actual gold bars? And why “advertise” its contents to the world at large?

The 1962 catalog on page 20 shows #13036 Super “O” 6-unit “Plainsman” steam outfit with an incorrectly red-colored bullion car (to be made by Lionel, LLC down the pike as #19677). The 1962 catalog copy stated:

“Right from the pages of history! The “General” is racing east with a valuable load of gold stored in the specially designed Gold Bullion Car. Outlaws have attempted to hold up the train and an exciting gun battle is raging between a lawman and one of the outlaws.”

Again, I am writing this in the more politically correct 21st century, but what exactly IS exciting about a gun battle anyway, especially when bullets are whizzing by your head? This is what you get when you publicize the contents of your rolling stock to the likes of the Frito Bandito.

I am not sure which editions of The Encyclopedia Britannica were used by those copywriters in 1962, but the bullion depository that was built at Fort Knox, Kentucky by The U.S. Bullion Depository did not open until 1937, a tad after wood-burning steam engines most likely were still in service! They did get the fact correct in that the first shipment of gold WAS brought in by railroad, but hopefully NOT by a General-style locomotive.


Interesting how an ad for No. 1063 and No. 1044 transformer would have set #13036 in it without the mint car, but in the ZW ad on the next page, the Texas Special set #11252 has the correct silver mint car in it, and a hodge-podge of other rolling stock.

A surprise entry in the 1962 catalog would be an HO version in set #14084, although the General has now been replaced with what looks like a miniature Santa Fe F-3, but those sheriffs and outlaws still abound in those Warbonnet days. Historically, this is also incorrect as GM EMD completed the earlier FT103 which began an 83,764 mile tour on November 25, 1939, nearly two years AFTER Ft. Knox opened.

Ironically, the “NEW!” #0845 HO Gold Bullion transport car, which shared the same body shell as #0872-200 REA reefer, sold for the very same “bigger guy” price of $5.95, also as a separate sale item.

The #6445 was shown in both O/027 and HO versions as a separate-sale item again for the last time in 1963; only as a separate-sale HO item in 1964; in 1965 & 1966 (and supposedly in 1967 when the 1966 catalog was used again) when the retail price of #0845 increased a nickel to $6.00. No HO sets were made in the remainder of the Postwar years 1968 and 1969.

This seemed to be the beginning and conclusion of mint cars series, or so we thought.

With the advent of personal computers and databases, the word “MINT” would have conflicting definitions in the train collecting/operating populace, as the title of this piece suggests. A search of the word “MINT” may come up with the TCA DESCRIPTION/GRADING STANDARDS of MINT as: “Brand New, absolutely unmarred, all original and unused.” Or a field in the database may describe ANY piece that you have in MINT condition, and a data “sort” of your mint car collection would be corrupted by these precious pieces.

Nevertheless, the accepted term for the original #6445/0845 Gold Bullion transport has been Mint Car. After all, the interchangeable “load” has been made in gold, silver and even “platinum” (looks silver to me) schemes, and sold in the after-market both with and without an official TCA coin.

“Lionel Philanthropy”:

The Lionel Corp. had sponsored train layouts in New York’s Grand Central Station for several charities such as the Fresh Air Fund.

It is believed that sometime during the early to mid-sixties, possibly 1964, the Lionel Corp. was a sponsor for another aid organization, “Junior Achievement”, started in 1919 as a collection of small, after-school business clubs for students in Springfield, Massachusetts.

During World War II, enterprising students in JA business clubs used their ingenuity to find new and different products for the war effort. They even obtained badly needed scrap iron by using acetylene torches in abandoned locomotive yards.

Students were taught how to think and plan for a business, acquire supplies and talent, build their own products, advertise, and sell with the financial support of companies such as The Lionel Corp.

Several groups sold savings banks made from the mold of the #6445 Fort Knox car, which was painted gold instead of silver, and mounted on a wooden base.


As a sign of things to come for collectors, of course there exists at least two variations of the corporate entity’s name of this sponsorship; “JANELCO”, which was most likely the Junior Achievement and LioNEL Company, and “JALICO” which could be Junior Achievement and LIonel Company.


 

LIONEL, AFTER HOURS:

No mint cars would be manufactured from the Postwar period until 1979, when #9320 came in a special box with the rest of the #1970 Southern Pacific set, headed by the #8960 SP U36C. It was painted silver over a clear plastic shell and as with its predecessor, the bullions were painted gold. The wheels on the rolling stock of this set where all die-cast and hollow if you look in the back of them, then they were zinc plated to give a shiny look, and are frequently found pitted because of the reaction with dampness. Regular wheels are made by a powder metallurgy process and these type of wheels are compressed under heat and pressure, to form a solid wheel, where the axles are coming through, the wheel is solid.

A form of “Midnight Madness” occurred by some employees at Lionel, and several of the unpainted shells made their way into collector’s hands.

Wellspring Mint Car
By Stuart Rankin

In 1999, Lionel cataloged the #19667 Wellspring Mint Car. This car was manufactured in May 1999. Later that year, Lionel’s parent company, Wellspring Capital Management (Wellspring Associates) wanted to give their employees and investors a Christmas gift. Wellspring decided to give out the #19667 Wellspring Mint Car, however, by this point, Lionel was sold out of the #19667. To fulfill Wellspring’s order, Lionel needed to produce a second run of Wellspring Mint Cars. Although Wellspring was expecting the regularly cataloged version of this car, the second run was slightly different than the first.

A new 5-digit SKU number needed to be assigned to the Employee Version. Lionel choose #19673 to keep track of the additional work of setting up the special run, the operation of packing each car in its own individual mailer, and for the inclusion of the Wellspring corporate Christmas card in the package. While the exact quantity of #19673s is not known, it is believed that only a few hundred were produced.

Of course, even though the two items were supposed to be identical, anytime things are manufactured 6 months apart, there are bound to be some differences. While these comparisons are far from exhaustive (2 of each version were compared), the findings were consistent. On the box label on the #19667, the word Wellspring is incorrectly printed as two separate words (WELL SPRING), however the spelling was corrected on the #19673 production run (WELLSPRING). While Lionel bothered to correct the spelling of “Wellspring”, they forget to update the SKU number on the label, and the #19673 was printed with #19667 on the label. Even though some parts are easily switched with other Lionel products, it is worth noting that the windows on the #19667 are slightly cloudy (very slightly) whereas on the #19673, the windows are absolutely crystal clear. Likewise, the uncoupling armature on the #19667 utilizes the (then new) all-metal armature, while the #19673 has the MPC era designed plastic armature with a metal thumbtack. This would seem appropriate as Lionel probably didn’t have enough of the older plastic armature trucks for a standard production run, but did have enough for the small #19673 run.

Of special interest is the Wellspring logo in the upper left hand corner of the car. While the same decorating plates were used for both production runs, apparently they were damaged between the two runs. The logo on the #19667 is crisp and exhibits clear sharp edges. On the #19673, the upper right corner of the logo is rounded off. The placement of the lettering is slightly different, but that can happen within any given production run, so it is not necessarily an identifying feature.

 

For a Lionel Mint Car Collection to be complete, both Wellspring variations need to be included.

I'd like to give credit to Joe Endicott for assisting me with the research for these comparisons.

#19667 vs. #19673 Comparison Table
 
19667 Cataloged Version
19673 Employee Version
Spelling on Box Label WELL SPRING WELLSPRING

Number on Box Label

6-19667 6-19667
Number on Mailer n/a 6-19673
Date Stamp (varies) 11419, 11449, etc. 13219, 13229, etc.
Date Manufactured May 21, May 24, etc. Nov. 17, Nov. 18, etc.
Coupler Armature Die-Cast, All Metal Plastic with Thumbtack
Upper Right “Wing” in Wellspring Logo Square End Rounded End
Christmas Card No Yes
Mailer No Yes, Dated 12/13/99
Box Manufactured 4/1999 11/1999
Windows Slightly Cloudy Crystal Clear
Cataloged 1999 Uncataloged


TCA MINT CAR COINS:
By Newt Derby

There are only two TCA coins that went with mint cars. The first was a footed aluminum coin from the twenty-fifth convention in 1979 that was given to each attendee at the convention to place in their Convention mint car #9319.

With respect to the 25th Anniversary footed coin, there were a bunch left over and some were melted into a blob with one sticking out of the blob. I believe that is now at the National Toy Train Museum.

 

The second was a gold colored coin that went with the Banquet Table New Orleans Mint car #7522 which was specially heat stamped on the windows of the regular issue mint car for the 1986 Convention banquet. There were only 115 of these made by some guy named Newt Derby. There were also three pure silver coins, several hundred bronze colored coins, and thousands of aluminum coins that were part of the Mardi Gras that was a part of the convention banquet.

 

 

All the coins for the #9319 were made from the same dies. Of the three silver coins, one was presented to Bill Tunstall, former TCA National President; one was presented to Dom Schwab, the then TCA National President; and one was auctioned at the convention banquet by auctioneer “Mr. TCA”, Lou Redman. And the buyer was that same guy, Newt Derby.

There were two new coins issued at the TCA 50th Convention in 2004:

TCA National Convention/Ft. Pitt Division coin, 2004
TCA 50 th Anniversary Golden Express Celebration 24-karat goldplated coin, 2004

 

THE “FREE” MINT CAR:
By Bob Mintz

In our Post 9-11 world, Lionel developed the “Spirit of America Super Value Program.” Current members of either, or both, the Lionel RailRoader Club and Century Club II were eligible to receive a free U.S. Savings Bond Car. The stipulation was that one must purchase from a list of qualifying items from a Lionel Authorized Value Added Dealer between October 1-December 31, 2002.

If you were a member of both clubs and made two purchases from the list, you were approved to get two free cars. One of the only other times that I can recall the consumer getting anything free from Lionel, was the #19559 MKT STOCK CAR, the so-called make up add-on car for the #31700 GIRL'S SET.

The scheduled shipping date for the Savings Bond car was estimated to be June 2003, but in yet another surprise, #19696 arrived in mid May 2003.

THE INLAND EMPIRE TRAIN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION:
By Mike Stella

The IETCA was a small group of Lionel collectors and operators based in Southern California, just east of Los Angeles. This organization is not in any way connected, despite its name, to the TCA. Between 1979 and 1986, the Club offered anniversary cars to its members, usually redecorated by professional repainters Pleasant Valley Process Co. (PVP).

In 1984, the Club issued its 6th annual anniversary car, a standard issue #7518 mint car with four decals applied to the clear windows stating “6th Anniversary IETCA 1984”.

This is the only IETCA car in which the original production model was still visible, and about 50 were made.


SELECTED FACTORY ERRORS:
By Bob Mintz, Shannon Sikora and Charles Janiga

A factory error usually occurs sometime during the painting, decorating or assembling process. It is more often than not the result of an inadvertent oversight. Some mistakes are more obvious than others, such as the graphics boo-boo shown here.

Considering the shear number of items produced, stamping errors are bound to exist, such as shown here for the very same item from above.

I have provided the regular issue item as a reference. Like we used to do for Highlights for Children (“What’s wrong with this picture?”), see if you can find the two graphics errors in the second image shown of the Monopoly mint car.


The Lionel and Richard Kughn auctions have produced even more variations. Some shells that were produced for what was thought to be only special production runs such as the QVC sets, or factory overruns that were sold to Lionel Top 10 dealers, have turned up in the hands of private collectors.

One such item was reported by Charles Janiga who told me that the regular version of the Lionel Mines mint car #19672 looks pure red. He has yet another deviation that has light gold lettering over-spray on a less red color, as well as the “built date” having thinner lettering. Also the metallic finish car does not have sprung metal trucks.

We present here the regular version as well as the so-called “gold dust” variation.


THE MINT CAR TRAIN:
By Bob Mintz

"All New Limited Edition Series 6-18300 Pennsylvania GG-1 Electric. What locomotive is stately enough, powerful enough, and exciting enough to pull the most expensive train set of all time?

The Pennsey GG-1 returns, coated in rich bronze markings to pull the most precious cargo in history, thousands of bars of gold and silver aboard Lionel's spectacular, continuing Mint Car series.”

The year 1987 would bring an interesting self-congratulatory homage to this continuing mint car series. Little did Lionel ever realize that even “two of the mightiest Pullmor motors ever developed, plus Magne-traction” would probably never be able to keep up with the sheer size of this ultimate freight train.

Why make a bronze colored engine and caboose when the mint car was guarding bars of gold?

Not really sure of the answer, I would have had a gold-plated engine, and “whassup” with that caboose?

Wouldn’t a matching security car have worked and been more appropriate considering the cargo?

 

TO ALL MINT CAR COLLECTORS OUT THERE…

The TCA 50th Anniversary Gold mint car is meant to be a companion piece to the TCA 25th Anniversary Silver mint car. The fact that the 25th anniversary mint car was in Lionel blue and the 50th anniversary mint car is in Lionel orange, is intentional.

According to Matt Irvin, 2004 Convention Car Chairman: “A PERSONAL hint to you is to make sure you attend the 50th Anniversary convention banquet next year because you never know what might be the very, very, limited banquet car!”

#0845 Gold Bullion Transport Car/Fort Knox Reserve (0845) painted silver on clear plastic, 1962-67
#6445 Fort Knox Gold Reserve, gold bars, Silver, 1961-63
#7515 Denver Mint, silver bars, Light Gold, 1981
#7517 Philadelphia Mint, silver bars, Bronze, 1982
#7518 Carson City Mint, gold bars, Black, 1983
#7518 IETCA decals on regular production Carson City Mint, gold bars, Black, 1983, uncataloged
#7522 New Orleans Mint, silver bars, Dark Blue, 1986, uncataloged
#7522 TCA National Convention/Lone Star Division, decals on regular production New Orleans Mint, silver bars, coin, Dark Blue, 1986, uncataloged
#7530 Dahlonega Mint, gold bars, Orange, 1986, uncataloged
#9319 TCA National Convention/Western Division, Silver Jubilee, silver bars, coin, Dark Blue, 1979, uncataloged
#9320 Fort Knox Gold Bullion car, gold bars Silver, 1979, uncataloged
#9349 San Francisco Mint, gold bars, Maroon, 1980
#19406 West Point Mint, gold bars, Dark Blue, 1991, uncataloged
#19419 Charlotte Mint Car, gold bars, Green, 1993
#19660 Lionelville Bank and Trust Armored Mint Car, "9660", gold bars, Charcoal, 1998
#19667 Wellspring Capital Management Armored Gold Transport, gold bars, Charcoal, 1999
#19670 NY Federal Reserve Mint Transport, "6445", gold bars, Gray/Blue, 2000
#19672 Lionel Mines Gold Transport (QVC set # 21785), "6445", gold bars, Red, 2000, uncataloged
#19673 Wellspring Capital Management Armored Gold Transport, gold bars, Charcoal, 1999, uncataloged
#19674 Lionel Lines Platinum Transport, silver bars, Blue/Gray, 2000
#19676 Philadelphia Federal Reserve Mint Transport, "6445", gold bars, Gray/Blue, 2001
#19677 Fort Knox Gold Reserve, "6445", gold bars, Archive Series, Red, 2000
#19679 St. Louis Federal Reserve Mint Transport, "6445", gold bars, Silver/Red, 2002
#19682 Alaska Klondike Mining Company, gold bars, Blue/Yellow, 2002
#19683 Pony Express Gold Transport, (Great Train Robbery Set # 31928), gold bars, Yellow/Red, 2002
#19686 Chicago Federal Reserve Mint Transport, "6445", gold bars, Silver/Gray, 2003
#19688 Fort Knox Gold Reserve, "6445", gold bars, “PW” Postwar celebration series, Silver 2003
#19694 Pony Express Gold Transport, (Great Train Robbery Set # 31939), gold bars, Red/Yellow, 2003
#19696 U.S. Treasury Department “U.S. Savings Bonds”, $100 U.S. Savings Bonds-Series HH, (LRRC and/or CCII), Silver/Blue, 2003, uncataloged
#52158 Monopoly, “M-0539”, gold bars, Green, Eastwood exclusive, 1998, uncataloged
#52276 TCA National Convention/Western Division, California’s Gold, gold bars, Blue, 2003, uncataloged
#52299 Las Vegas Jackpot Security Transport, LCCA, gold bars, Maroon, 2003, uncataloged
#52338 TCA National Convention/Ft. Pitt Division, TCA 50th Anniversary, gold bars, Golden Express Celebration, Orange, 2004, uncataloged
#19649 Disney Scrooge McDuck Mint Car, gold bars, Green, 2004, uncataloged
#19697 U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, $1000 Notes, Reddish white, 2004
#19698 San Francisco Federal Reserve Mint Car, gold bars, Silver, “Last of the Series”, 2004
#52338 TCA National Convention/Ft. Pitt Division, TCA 50th Anniversary, gold bars, Golden Express Celebration, Orange, 2004, uncataloged prototype as seen at the Pittsburgh convention signed by then Lionel President Bill Bracy, part of raffle prize.
#52339 TCA National Convention/Ft. Pitt Division, TCA 50th Anniversary, gold bars, banquet car, Orange, 2004, uncataloged
#6445B One of a kind operating mint car given by accomplished collector/operator Mike Stella to me on my 50th anniversary/birthday
#29607 Las Vegas Mobile Vault, “777”, $1000 Notes, Gold/copper, 2005
Lionel Savings Bank White/green Scout-Type “Blt by Lionel”, 1961
Image
#7522 TCA National Convention/Lone Star Division, decals on regular production New Orleans Mint, TCA 32nd Anniversary, silver bars, coins, banquet car, Dark Blue, 1986, uncataloged
29622 #6445 Fort Knox Mint Car
image
52453 Railroad Museum of Long Island North Fork Bank Mint Car

The Railroad Museum of Long Island (RMLI) is proud to announce the third in their series of Lionel commemorative cars.  Production of this car will be extremely limited to only those who purchase this car in advance.  Funds raised from the profits of the sale of this car will go to the upkeep of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

North Fork Bank has many branches located on Long Island.  Envision a delivery of gold bullion being shipped to the North Fork of Long Island from Fort Knox KY. by the Long Island freight transport company New York & Atlantic.

The Pennsylvania # 39 Keystone represents the PRR ownership of the Long Island Railroad in October 1955 when the last Steam Engine to run on Long Island ,a G5 # 39, was taken out of service.  This engine is now being restored and will be the cornerstone display of the Museum.

This Lionel factory produced car (6-52453) will be painted in official North Fork colors.  It will have die cast trucks and the North Fork and New York & Atlantic logos.

image
52417 Special Denver Mint Banquet Car TCA 2007 - Denver, CO
 
image

52485 METCA New York Central Pacemaker Mint Car

The Metropolitan Division of the Train Collectors Association (METCA) offered a New York Central Pacemaker Mint Car in early 2008.  The car, SKU Number 6-52485, is entirely made and decorated by Lionel.  In an unusual twist of marketing, METCA placed a firm order with Lionel and predetermined the production quantity at 500 units before the car was even advertised to TCA members.  This allowed for a refreshingly short amount of time between the announcement of the car and delivery, which is scheduled for summer 2008.  One of the more popular road names with toy train collectors, New York Central was chosen for the METCA 2008 Mint Car since the New York region is at the core of the METCA geographical territory.

For METCA information visit their website: www.metca.org

For a PDF order form, CLICK HERE.

 


Would any of my articles not be complete without the obligatory third party inclusions?

Of course not!

I even hear that there may be a York Peppermint Patty as well as a Bob Mintz 50th anniversary mint car available at April 2004 York, so stay tuned.

RGS Limited Editions
184 North Main Street
Old Forge, PA 18518
Voice: 570-457-6805
Fax: 570-457-6814
Cell: 570-575-0460
Email: RGSLTDED@MSN.COM

#6438HERX Hershey’s Kisses, Chocolate Brown, 2003, uncataloged
#6438BRIX Brinks, Gray, 2003, uncataloged
#8901 Sam Houston Mint, Lone Star Republic of Texas, HTOS, $3 bill, Red/White/Blue, 2000, uncataloged
Clear windows protect the "gold bullion" and a replica of a Republic of Texas "Three Dollar Bill" from thieves. Also, included with each car is a short history of the Republic of Texas and its currency.
#6438HERX Hershey's Kisses, Red, 2003, uncatalogued
The Sam Houston Mint Car is a Lionel mint car (6445 postwar style) and features a metal frame, couplers, die-cast sprung trucks, and No. 8900 reporting mark. The "1838" number at the center of the car commemorates the year that Houston was the Capitol of the Republic of Texas. The car is decorated in their red, white and blue "Lone Star"© paint scheme. The letters "HTOS" are displayed on one end of the car, while the words "Houston Tinplate Operators Society" appear on the opposite end. A small image of Texas is painted on the side of the car with a star marking the location of Houston.
#9321 Bureau of Engraving & Printing, Silver, 2000, uncataloged
#9322 Sacagawea Golden Dollar, gold bars, Golden Dollar coin, Bronze, 2000, uncataloged
 
#6402 Boston Federal Reserve Mint Transport, silver bars, 4 Kennedy Half Dollars coins, Silver, 2005, uncataloged
 

Trotta’s Trains & Things
John Trotta
310 Furnace Dock Road
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
914-737-2919 .
Email:nashnut2000@yahoo.com

LIRR “329” gold bars, Gray/Orange, 2002, uncataloged
LIRR “2974”, gold bars, Yellow/Blue 2003, uncataloged
LIRR “7504”, gold bars, Gray/Orange, 2003, uncataloged
LIRR “7654”, gold bars, Gray/White, 2003, uncataloged
LIRR “7521”, gold bars, Gray/White, 2003, uncataloged
LIRR “8624”, gold bars, Gray/White, 2004, uncataloged
LIRR “7503”, gold bars, Gray/Orange, 2004, uncataloged
LIRR “2378”, gold bars, Tuscan/Black, 2004, uncataloged
Conrail “5060”, gold bars, Blue/Black, 2004, uncataloged
LIRR “3847”, gold bars, Gray/Black, 2004, uncataloged
Union Pacific “54063”, gold bars, Yellow/Gray, 2004, uncataloged
Atlantic Coast Line “37520”, gold bars, Purple/Gray, 2004, large herald, uncataloged
Atlantic Coast Line “31890”, gold bars, Purple/Gray, 2004, small herald, uncataloged
New York Central “18021”, gold bars, Jade Green/Gray, 2004, uncataloged
Delaware & Hudson “23890”, gold bars, Gray/Blue, 2004, uncataloged
New York & Atlantic “4008”, gold bars, Green /Gray, 2004, uncataloged
NYC PACEMAKER MINTCAR RED/GRAY "174479", 2005, uncataloged
ERIE LACKAWANNA MINTCAR GRAY/PURPLE/YELLOW "42560", 2005, uncataloged
BOSTON & MAINE MINTCAR BLUE/BLACK "17839", 2005, uncataloged
MAINE CENTRAL MINTCAR YELLOW/GREEN "6712", 2005, uncataloged
RIO GRANDE MINTCAR SILVER/BLACK “6723”, 2005, uncataloged
SOUTHERN PACIFIC MINTCAR, SILVER,“103040”, 2005, uncataloged

WABASH MINTCAR, BLUE/GRAY,“62835”, 2005, uncataloged

NEW HAVEN MINTCAR, ORANGE/BLACK,“12893”, 2005, uncataloged
CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY MINTCAR, YELLOW/GREEN, “13627”, 2005, uncataloged

MERRY CHRISTMAS MINTCAR, RED/GREEN, “1225”, 2005, uncataloged

HAPPY HALLOWEEN MINTCAR, ORANGE/BLACK, “1031”, 2005, uncataloged

trotta31

US ARMY MINTCAR, OLIVE DRAB/SILVER, “12789”, 2005, uncataloged

BANGOR AND AROOSTOOK MINTCAR, RED/GRAY, “4002”, 2006, uncataloged

trotta32
trotta33

BNSF MINTCAR, ORANGE/GREEN, “403374”, 2006, uncataloged

RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY MINTCAR, GREEN/SILVER, “2403”, 2006, uncataloged

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image

BOSTON & MAINE MINTCAR BLUE/BLUE "92738", 2006, uncataloged

US ARMY MINTCAR, OLIVE DRAB/SILVER, “12789”, 2005, uncataloged

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image

UNION PACIFIC U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing GRAY/RED "24001", 2007, uncataloged

GREAT NORTHERN MINTCAR, BLUE/BLACK "12594", 2007, uncataloged

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image

READING LINES MINTCAR, YELLOW/GREEN "8675", 2007, uncataloged

PENN CENTRAL MINTCAR, GREEN/BLACK “616029”, 2007, uncataloged

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ILLINOIS CENTRAL GULF MINTCAR, ORANGE/SILVER “4008”, 2007, uncataloged

 


Dr. Joseph Lechner Computer Generated Car, uncataloged

#6559  Union National Community Bank  (unknown manufacturer)
Union National Financial Corporation , headquartered in Mount Joy , Pennsylvania , is the holding company of Union National Community Bank. The bank provides a full range of financial services for both retail and business customers in Lancaster County , Pennsylvania .


 

 
 
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