Mint Mark Facts
A mint mark is a letter, symbol or an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced. U.S. coins minted without a mint Mark are usually minted in Philadelphia, but not always.
The value of a Rare Coin can only be determined by knowing where it was minted, the date, rarity, the type of minting, proof or common, and the state of preservation a grade between 1 and 70 for a perfect coin.
The table below lists the mint marks for each of the Mint’s current and historic facilities, and the dates they used the mark.
| Mint Branch | Mint Mark | Years Mark Used |
|---|---|---|
| Carson City (NV) | CC | 1870-1893 |
| Charlotte (NC) | C | 1838-1861 |
| Dahlonega (GA) | D | 1838-1861 |
| Denver (CO) | D | 1906-Present |
| New Orleans (LA) | O | 1838-1861, 1879-1909 |
| Philadelphia (PA) | P | 1942-45, 1979-Present |
| San Francisco (CA) | S | 1854-1955, 1968-Present |
| West Point (NY) | W | 1984-Present |
P Mint Mark for Philadelphia
Modern Coin Mint Marks
- The Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated mint marks to discourage collecting while the Mint worked to meet the country’s coinage needs.
- Mint marks were placed on the coin reverse until 1968 when they moved to the obverse.
- The San Francisco Mint made circulating coins with the “S” mint mark from 1854 to 1955. After that, they produced “S” circulating coins from:
- 1968-1974: cents
- 1968-1970: nickels
- 1979-1981: dollars
- In 1968, proof coin production moved from the Philadelphia Mint to San Francisco and proof coins gained the “S” mint mark.
- The West Point Bullion Depository made circulating cents from 1973 to 1986 and circulating quarters in 1976 to 1979. The San Francisco Mint also produced circulating cents around this time. These coins did not have mint marks so that they couldn’t be distinguished from Philadelphia coins.
- In 2017, the “P” mint mark appeared for the first time on circulating cents. This change was only for the 2017 issued cents, in honor of the U.S. Mint’s 225th anniversary.
- In 2019, the “W” mint mark appeared for the first time on a circulating coin. The West Point Mint produced 10 million quarters in the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters Program.