The Carson City Mint was one of only seven federal mints constructed in the United States. An 1863 Act of Congress established it as a branch mint, but the Civil War and congressional appropriations delayed its construction until 1867. Treasury Department architect A. B. Mullett designed the building. Workers completed the mint in 1869 and struck its first coin in 1870. In 1874, it was awarded full status as a United States Mint along with facilities in San Francisco and New Orleans under the administration of the original U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

The famed Comstock Lode, discovered in 1859, yielded millions of dollars in gold and silver, some of which was sold to the mint. The Carson City Mint served as federal recognition of the value of the local mines and their importance to the national economy.

The last coinage was stamped at the Carson City Mint in 1893. During its history, the Carson City institution minted 56,636,119 gold and silver coins. Its mint status was withdrawn in 1899, and it was an assay office until 1933. The Mint building opened as the Nevada State Museum in October 1941. Today the rare "CC" mint mark is one of the most coveted among coin collectors.