JOSEPH TURNER for The News Tribune 

Northwest Territorial Mint is a small company, but its reach extends around the world. The company along the West Valley Highway in Auburn takes large bars of silver and gold and melts them down to make tiny bars of silver and gold so they’re more affordable to small investors.

It also mints coins for admirals, generals and military units to commemorate their rank or tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, and now the U.S. military wants the company to make Bronze and Silver Stars to honor its heroes.

It has quietly become the unofficial mint for 19 countries by making legal tender for nations in South America, Pacific island nations and on the European continent, countries too proud to let it be known that a small company in America – not their own treasuries – is minting their currency. Read Full Story