A mint mark is a small letter stamped on a coin to show which United States Mint facility struck it. Because the same design was often made at several mints in very different quantities, the mint mark can be the difference between a common coin and a rare one.
What each letter means
| Mark | Mint | Years |
|---|---|---|
| P | Philadelphia Mint | 1792–present |
| D | Denver Mint | 1906–present |
| S | San Francisco Mint | 1854–present |
| W | West Point Mint | 1974–present (official mint since 1988) |
| O | New Orleans Mint | 1838–1861, 1879–1909 |
| CC | Carson City Mint | 1870–1893 |
| C | Charlotte Mint | 1838–1861 |
| D | Dahlonega Mint | 1838–1861 |
Two quirks catch people out. First, Philadelphia coins usually carry no mint mark at all. The "P" only became routine in 1980 and the cent never received it except in 2017. Second, from 1965 to 1967 the Mint removed mint marks from all coins to discourage hoarding during the silver coin shortage, so coins from those years have no mint mark regardless of where they were struck.
Where to find the mint mark, series by series
| Series | Years | Mint mark location |
|---|---|---|
| Flowing Hair Large Cent | 1793 | No mint mark. Every Flowing Hair cent was struck in Philadelphia. |
| Liberty Cap Large Cent | 1793 to 1796 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Draped Bust Large Cent | 1796 to 1807 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Classic Head Large Cent | 1808 to 1815 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent | 1816 to 1839 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Braided Hair Large Cent | 1839 to 1868 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Flying Eagle Cent | 1856 to 1858 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Indian Head Cent | 1859 to 1907 | No mint mark. Philadelphia struck every Indian cent until 1908. |
| Indian Head Cent | 1908 to 1909 | On the reverse, below the wreath. Only 1908-S and 1909-S carry a mint mark. |
| Lincoln Wheat Cent | 1909 to 1958 | On the obverse, directly below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark. |
| Lincoln Memorial Cent | 1959 to 2008 | On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark (except the 2017-P, which is a Lincoln Shield cent). |
| Lincoln Bicentennial Cent | 2009 | On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark. |
| Lincoln Shield Cent | 2010 to present | On the obverse, below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark, except the 2017-P (struck for the Mint's 225th anniversary). |
| Shield Nickel | 1866 to 1883 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Liberty Head "V" Nickel | 1883 to 1911 | No mint mark. Philadelphia only. |
| Liberty Head "V" Nickel | 1912 to 1913 | On the reverse, to the left of CENTS. Only 1912-D and 1912-S have mint marks. |
| Buffalo Nickel | 1913 to 1938 | On the reverse, below the words FIVE CENTS. Philadelphia nickels have no mint mark. |
| Jefferson Nickel | 1938 to 1941 | On the reverse, to the right of Monticello. |
| Jefferson Nickel | 1942 to 1945 | Large mint mark above the dome of Monticello on the reverse, including a "P" for Philadelphia, the first ever used. A large mint mark means a 35% silver war nickel. |
| Jefferson Nickel | 1946 to 1964 | On the reverse, to the right of Monticello. |
| Jefferson Nickel | 1965 to 1967 | No mint mark. Mint marks were suspended in 1965–1967. |
| Jefferson Nickel | 1968 to 2003 | On the obverse, near the date. "P" appears from 1980. |
| Westward Journey Nickel | 2004 to 2005 | On the obverse: near the date on 2004 coins and just above the date, below LIBERTY, on 2005 coins (P, D or S). |
| Return to Monticello Nickel | 2006 to present | On the obverse, below the date (P, D or S). |
| Roosevelt Dime | 1946 to 1964 | On the reverse, to the left of the torch's base. |
| Roosevelt Dime | 1965 to 1967 | No mint mark. Mint marks were suspended in 1965–1967. |
| Roosevelt Dime | 1968 to present | On the obverse, just above the date. "P" appears from 1980. |
| Draped Bust Quarter | 1796 to 1807 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Capped Bust Quarter | 1815 to 1838 | No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia. |
| Seated Liberty Quarter | 1838 to 1891 | On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. |
| Barber Quarter | 1892 to 1916 | On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. |
| Standing Liberty Quarter | 1916 to 1930 | On the obverse, to the left of the date, beside Liberty's foot. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. |
| Washington Quarter | 1932 to 1964 | On the reverse, below the wreath. |
| Washington Quarter | 1965 to 1967 | No mint mark. Mint marks were suspended in 1965–1967. |
| Washington Quarter | 1968 to 1998 | On the obverse, to the right of the ribbon behind Washington's hair. "P" appears from 1980. |
| Bicentennial Quarter | 1976 | On the obverse, to the right of the ribbon behind Washington's hair. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. |
| D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarter | 2009 | On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon (P, D or S). |
| America the Beautiful Quarter | 2010 to 2021 | On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon. "W" quarters were struck in 2019 and 2020 and released into circulation in small numbers. |
| Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter | 2021 | On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon (P, D or S). |
| Flowing Hair Half Dollar | 1794 to 1795 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Draped Bust Half Dollar | 1796 to 1807 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Capped Bust Half Dollar | 1807 to 1837 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Capped Bust Half Dollar | 1838 to 1839 | Above the date on the obverse (1838-O and 1839-O only). |
| Seated Liberty Half Dollar | 1839 to 1891 | On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. |
| Barber Half Dollar | 1892 to 1915 | On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. |
| Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 1916 to 1917 | On the obverse below IN GOD WE TRUST (1916 and some 1917), or on the reverse at the lower left near the rim (some 1917). |
| Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 1918 to 1947 | On the reverse, at the lower left near the rim, below the pine branch. |
| Franklin Half Dollar | 1948 to 1963 | On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. |
| Kennedy Half Dollar | 1964 | On the reverse, near the eagle's claw holding the olive branch. |
| Kennedy Half Dollar | 1965 to 1967 | No mint mark. Mint marks were suspended in 1965–1967. |
| Kennedy Half Dollar | 1968 to present | On the obverse, below Kennedy's portrait and above the date. |
| Morgan Silver Dollar | 1878 to 1921 | On the reverse, below the wreath and above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Morgan Silver Dollar | 2021 to present | On the reverse, below the wreath. Some modern collector issues carry a D or S mint mark and the 2021 coins included CC and O privy marks honoring the historic mints. |
| Peace Silver Dollar | 1921 to 1935 | On the reverse, below the word ONE, near the tip of the eagle's wing. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Peace Silver Dollar | 2021 to present | On the reverse, near the eagle's wing. |
| 50 State Quarter | 1999 to 2008 | On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ponytail (P, D or S). |
| American Women Quarter | 2022 to present | On the obverse (P, D or S). |
| Presidential Dollar | 2007 to 2020 | On the edge, incused along with the date and mottos. |
| Sacagawea Dollar | 2000 to 2008 | On the obverse, below the date. |
| Sacagawea Dollar | 2009 to present | On the edge, incused with the date. |
| American Innovation Dollar | 2018 to present | On the edge, incused with the date. |
| Gold Dollar | 1849 to 1889 | On the reverse, below the wreath. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. A "D" on a coin dated 1861 or earlier means Dahlonega, Georgia. |
| Indian Head Eagle | 1907 to 1933 | On the reverse, to the left of the arrow points. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | 1907 to 1933 | On the obverse, above the date. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Eisenhower Dollar | 1971 to 1978 | On the obverse, below Eisenhower's portrait and above the date. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Two-Cent Piece | 1864 to 1873 | No mint mark. All two-cent pieces were struck in Philadelphia. |
| Three-Cent Silver | 1851 | On the reverse, to the right of the Roman numeral III (1851-O only). |
| Three-Cent Silver | 1852 to 1873 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Twenty-Cent Piece | 1875 to 1878 | On the reverse, below the eagle. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Draped Bust Dime | 1796 to 1807 | No mint mark. Every Draped Bust dime was struck in Philadelphia. |
| Capped Bust Dime | 1809 to 1837 | No mint mark. Every Capped Bust dime was struck in Philadelphia. |
| Seated Liberty Dime | 1837 to 1891 | On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath or inside the wreath, depending on the year. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark. |
| Barber Dime | 1892 to 1916 | On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark. |
| Mercury Dime | 1916 to 1945 | On the reverse, to the left of the base of the fasces. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark. |
| Flowing Hair Half Dime | 1794 to 1795 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Draped Bust Half Dime | 1796 to 1805 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Capped Bust Half Dime | 1829 to 1837 | No mint mark. Struck in Philadelphia. |
| Seated Liberty Half Dime | 1837 to 1873 | On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath or inside the wreath, depending on the year. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Susan B. Anthony Dollar | 1979 to 1999 | On the obverse, to the left of Anthony's portrait, just above her shoulder (P, D or S). |
Tips for reading tiny mint marks
- Use a 10x loupe and angle the coin under a single bright light; mint marks are easier to see in raking light.
- Worn coins can lose the mint mark completely. If the area is flat, you cannot assume "no mint mark".
- Watch for repunched mint marks (RPMs), where a second letter partly overlaps the first and over-mint marks such as the 1944-D/S cent. These varieties carry premiums.
- Be suspicious of a mint mark that looks too sharp, sits at a slight angle or has a seam around it. Added mint marks are a common way to fake key dates such as the 1909-S VDB and 1914-D.
One letter, two mints
The letter D has been used by two different mints. On gold coins dated 1838 to 1861 it stands for Dahlonega, Georgia, a branch mint that struck only gold from locally mined metal. From 1906 it stands for Denver. The C of the Charlotte, North Carolina, mint appears only on gold coins of the same 1838 to 1861 period. So a D on a dime or a cent always means Denver.
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How the P mint mark arrived
The P first appeared on the 1942 war nickel, placed above Monticello with the other wartime mint marks to identify the silver alloy. It returned on the 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar and was added to most other denominations in 1980. In 1968 the mint marks on the dime, quarter and half dollar moved from the reverse to the obverse, which is why the location changes partway through those series.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some coins from the 1960s have no mint mark?
The Mint dropped mint marks from all coins dated 1965 to 1967 to discourage hoarding. They returned in 1968.
What does the W mint mark mean?
W stands for West Point, New York. It appears mostly on collector coins, plus the 2019 and 2020 W quarters released into circulation.