What is a mint mark and how important is it?
The Complete Guide To Mint Marks
You may have noticed on some coins there is a little letter, sometimes a D or an S, or maybe even a W. But what are those little letters for?
We’ll give you a hint, it’s not the designers initial!
Those tiny little letters on your coins are called mint marks. Mint marks are letters that indicate which Mint facility that particular coin was produced.
Most coins contain a mint mark, though there have been years when there were no mint marks on any coins. From 1965-1967 no circulating coins featured a mint mark. This was to discourage collectors from collecting coins as there was a coin shortage during this time.
Currently Operating U.S. Mints and Their Mintmarks
By Beyond My Ken - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26377763
There are currently four operating Mints in the United States, though there have been eight total Mints over the years. (a Mint is where coins are produced)
The main producer of coins is the Philadelphia Mint, this one is commonly just called The Mint. This is the main facility and central hub for coins across the U.S. The other three operating facilities are known as Branch Mints.
The four currently operating Mints are as follows:
Philadelphia
Coins that are produced here will either contain no mint mark, or a P mint mark. The P mint mark appears on all denominations except the cent from 1978-present, with the two exceptions being in 2017 the P mint mark appeared on cents to commemorate the U.S. Mint’s 225th anniversary, and from 1942-1945 the P mint mark appeared on Jefferson Nickels.
Denver
Coins produced in the Denver Mint will have a D mint mark. The Denver Mint mark has appeared on coins since 1906-present.
San Francisco - The coins produced in the San Francisco Mint have an S mint mark. The San Francisco Mint mark has appeared on coins from 1854-1955, and again starting in 1968-present.
West Point
Coins produced at West Point will have a W mint mark. The W mint mark appeared for the first time on circulating coins in 2019 when they produced 10 million quarters for the America the Beautiful Quarters program. The West Point Mint mark has appeared on coins since 1984-present.
U.S. Mints That Are No Longer In Operation and Their Mintmarks
By Unknown author - Us Coin Values Advisor.com URL: http://www.us-coin-values-advisor.com/us-philadelphia-mint.html#First%20Facility, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9071390
You may also find coins with mint marks from the old Mints which are no longer operating, here are the Mints that are no longer in operation:
Carson City
Coins that were minted at the Carson City Mint have a CC mint mark.
The Carson City Mint mark appeared on coins from 1870-1893.
Charlotte
The coins that came out of the Charlotte Mint were marked with a C mint mark.
The Charlotte Mint mark appeared on coins from 1838-1861.
Dahlonega
The Dahlonega Mint’s coins had a D mint mark.
The Dahlonega Mint mark appeared on coins from 1838-1861.
New Orleans
Coins from the New Orleans Mint were marked with an O mint mark.
The New Orleans Mint mark appeared on coins from 1838-1861, and then again from 1879-1909.
Are Mint Marks Important?
Mint marks are a pretty important part of a coin as they will determine where that coin was made. Certain years of coins were only produced at one Mint or the other, or perhaps there were less made at say the Denver Mint than there were at the San Francisco Mint. This could potentially make the coin produced at the Denver Mint more valuable than the one produced in the San Francisco Mint.
Where Are Mint Marks Located?
The mint mark on a coin is usually located on the obverse (the front, or heads side) of the coin. Prior to 1968, the mint marks were located on the reverse (the back, or tails side) of the coin.
The Penny, or Cent, Mint Mark Location
The mint mark on the penny is located under the date on the obverse of the coin. From 1965-1967 there were no mint marks. The Philadelphia Mint only produced coins with a P mint mark in 2017, and the West Point Mint only produced coins with a W mint mark in 2019.
The Nickel Mint Mark Location
The mint mark on the Nickel is located in a few different places depending on the year and the type of Nickel, but on the Jefferson Nickel the mint mark is located on the obverse of the coin, following the date. From 1942-1945, the mint marks are on the reverse above the Monticello building, and from 1938-1964 (with the exception of 1942-1945) the mint mark is located on the reverse of the Nickel on the lower right side of Monticello
The Dime Mint Mark Location
Again, the mint mark on the Dime varies between the type of dime, but the location of the mint mark on the Roosevelt Dime is on the obverse above the date.
The Quarter Mint Mark Location
The location of the mint mark on the Washington Quarter is located on the obverse of the coin just behind the ribbon in Washington’s hair, at about the four o’ clock position.
The Half Dollar Mint Mark Location
The mint mark on the half dollar is in a couple different locations depending on the series of half dollar. The Franklin half dollar’s mint mark is located on the reverse of the coin, just above the Liberty Bell.
The Kennedy Half Dollar’s mint mark is actually in two different places depending on what year it is. In 1964, the mint mark was located on the reverse below the eagle’s left talon, and from 1968-present the mint mark is located on the obverse of the half dollar, just below Kennedy’s neck but above the date.
