In US coinage, the term “no mint mark” on a coin primarily means that it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint.
- Historical tradition: For most of US history, the Philadelphia Mint , as the primary and original mint, did not typically place a mint mark on its circulating coins.
- Exceptions exist: There are exceptions to this tradition. For example:
– From 1965 to 1967, no US circulating coins had mint marks, regardless of which mint produced them.
– The Philadelphia Mint used a “P” mint mark on Jefferson wartime nickels (1942-1945) to denote a different metal composition.
– The “P” mint mark began appearing on other Philadelphia-minted coins starting in 1979 with the Susan B. Anthony dollar, and on most other denominations (except the cent) since 1980.
– In 2017, the Philadelphia Mint briefly added a “P” mint mark to Lincoln cents to commemorate the Mint’s 225th anniversary.
– Coins minted at the West Point facility for circulation (such as some Lincoln cents and Washington quarters in certain years) also do not have a mint mark, making them indistinguishable from those minted in Philadelphia.
- Significance for collectors: While most coins without a mint mark are from Philadelphia and are not necessarily rare, certain exceptions, like specific error coins (e.g., the 1922 No-D Lincoln cent) or missing mint marks on proof coins, can be quite valuable to collectors.
Therefore, when you encounter a US coin without a mint mark, it is most likely a regular circulating coin from the Philadelphia Mint. However, it’s important to be aware of the historical exceptions and potential rare varieties when evaluating such coins.
Why would a coin have no mint mark?
I can help with that. Mint marks were traditionally mentioned only when they existed; sometimes, people would add the suffix ‘plain. ‘ The absence of a mint mark means the coin was created at the Philadelphia Mint, which generally produces more US coins than the other mints (D, S).
Where is a coin minted if it has no mint mark?
From my experience, The West Point Bullion Depository made circulating pennies from 1973 to 1986 and circulating quarters in 1976 to 1979. The San Francisco Mint also produced circulating pennies around this time. These coins did not have mint marks so that they couldn’t be distinguished from Philadelphia coins.
How do you tell if a coin has a mint mark?
A mint mark is a small letter (D and S being the most commonly encountered) somewhere on the coin. A mint mark tells you where the coin was made. Many coins also have the designer’s initials hidden somewhere in the design. This is not the mint mark.