World Wide Mint Overview
World Wide Mint, Bloomington MN, was a private mint operating from 1974 until its dissolution in 2000. The company originated as R.G.J., Inc. in 1973 before adopting the World Wide Mint name in 1974. Surviving numismatic evidence confirms production of one-ounce and fractional .999 fine silver rounds from the early 1980s through at least 1986, including commercial, seasonal, and regional/commemorative themed issues.
The mint is definitively identified through pieces bearing both the initials “WWM” and the full inscription “© World Wide Mint, Inc.”, establishing a direct link between the corporate entity and its mint mark.
World Wide Mint Corporate Information
World Wide Mint, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota on October 9, 1973 as R.G.J., Inc., adopting the World Wide Mint name on September 25, 1974. Restated Articles were filed May 23, 1984, and the corporation was dissolved July 11, 2000. Ronald G. Johnson served as Chief Executive Officer. The company was based at 8330 Pillsbury Ave S, Bloomington, Minnesota 55420.
World Wide Mint – Mint Mark
The initials “WWM” are confirmed as the mint mark of World Wide Mint, Inc., based on early 1980s silver rounds that display both the mint mark and the full corporate name on the same piece.
Products
- 1 troy ounce and ¼ troy ounce .999 fine silver rounds
- Themed and commercial silver issues
- Generic Liberty-style bullion rounds (early 1980s)
- Custom regional and client-specific commemorative issues produced on a shared house reverse template
Manufacturing Role
World Wide Mint operated primarily as a contract manufacturer, producing silver rounds for third-party distributors, commercial clients, and promotional issuers. Evidence supports a house practice of pairing a standing generic reverse die (fine-silver weight/purity legend, decorative border) with a client-supplied or client-commissioned obverse — seen across seasonal cards, regional pieces, and commemorative issues alike. Current evidence supports a production-focused role rather than direct retail distribution.
Attribution Analysis
The attribution of the unmarked 1985 Valentine’s Day silver round to World Wide Mint, Inc. is established through direct design and die linkage to earlier confirmed WWM-marked pieces.
A 1981-dated round bearing both “© World Wide Mint, Inc.” and the “WWM” mint mark definitively establishes WWM as the mint mark of World Wide Mint and identifies the Liberty-style obverse as a house design.
The 1982 Valentine’s Day round carries the same obverse and a themed reverse with the WWM mint mark, confirming World Wide Mint produced the Valentine’s design series.
The 1985 Valentine’s Day round retains the identical reverse design, layout, typography, and engraving style, but replaces the WWM mint mark with a Texas outline — a mint mark substitution, not a change in manufacturer, consistent with contract minting practices.
This same Texas-outline-for-mint-mark substitution appears across a wider group of mid-1980s Texas-themed issues, described below.
This represents a mint mark substitution, not a change in manufacturer, consistent with contract minting practices.
Attribution Statement
The 1985 Valentine’s Day silver round, the Texas Sesquicentennial commemorative series, the Rio Grande Valley/Port Isabel Lighthouse rounds, and the ¼ oz fractional line are attributed to World Wide Mint, Inc. based on shared design, die, and reverse-template characteristics with confirmed WWM-marked pieces, with the Texas outline replacing the WWM mark as a recurring client-specific substitution.
Research Status
Confirmed
- Corporate identity and location
- Operational timeline (1974–2000 as World Wide Mint, Inc.)
- Mint mark attribution (WWM)
- Early 1980s silver round production
Unconfirmed / Under Research
- Full product catalog and mintage scope
- Specific clients and distribution partners
- Extent of 1970s and 1990s minting activity
- Art bar production attribution
Summary
World Wide Mint, Inc. is a documented Minnesota private mint with confirmed early 1980s production of one-ounce silver rounds. The firm’s mint mark “WWM” is directly tied to the corporate entity through dual-marked pieces, establishing clear attribution. Evidence supports its role as a contract manufacturer within the broader U.S. bullion and promotional minting market, producing a recurring house reverse template used across seasonal, regional, and commemorative client commissions, though the full extent of its operations remains an active area of research.
Coins from World Wide Mint (Bloomington, MN) (14)
