US mint marks: P, D, S, W, CC, O and C explained
A mint mark is a letter that tells you which US mint made the coin.
- Mints that mark coins today
- 4
- P, D, S and W
- Philadelphia coins before 1980
- No mark
- with a few exceptions
- 1965 to 1967
- No marks
- no US coin carries one
The letters are P (Philadelphia), D (Denver), S (San Francisco) and W (West Point), plus O, CC, C and an older D on coins from mints that have closed. The mark sits in a different spot on each coin, so look it up by series. Two coins with the same date and different marks can be very different coins.
The US mints and their marks
Philadelphia was the only mint at first. Other mints were opened as branch mints and put a letter on their coins so the output could be told apart. Dimes, quarters, halves and dollars that matter to collectors mostly come from P, D, S, O and CC.
| Mark | Mint | Years of coin production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1793 to today | The first US Mint. Coins dated before 1980 carry no mark, except wartime nickels (1942 to 1945) and the 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar, which carries a P. |
| C | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1838 to 1861 | Gold coins only. |
| D | Dahlonega, Georgia | 1838 to 1861 | Gold coins only. Not the same mint as the Denver D. |
| O | New Orleans, Louisiana | 1838 to 1861, 1879 to 1909 | Silver and gold coins, including Morgan dollars. |
| S | San Francisco, California | 1854 to today | Silver and gold coins from 1854. Today mostly proof and collector coins. |
| CC | Carson City, Nevada | 1870 to 1893 | Silver and gold. Carson City Morgan dollars are among the most collected. |
| D | Denver, Colorado | 1906 to today | Large producer of coins for circulation. |
| W | West Point, New York | 1974 to today | Coins from West Point carried no mark until 1984. Now used on gold, platinum and silver bullion, commemoratives and some quarters. |
Manila (M) also struck coins for the Philippines under US control from 1920. Those are not US coins.
What "no mint mark" means
- Before 1980: a coin without a mark was struck in Philadelphia. The exceptions are wartime nickels (1942 to 1945), which carry a large P above Monticello, and the Susan B. Anthony dollar (1979 to 1999), the first coin with a P since those nickels.
- 1965 to 1967: no US coin has a mint mark. The Mint left them off to discourage hoarding. Marks came back in 1968, moved to the front of the coin on dimes, quarters and half dollars.
- 1980 to 2016: every Philadelphia coin has a P except the Lincoln cent, which stayed unmarked. A "P" cent exists only for 2017.
- A mark you cannot see: on a worn coin the letter can be hard to read. Look again under a loupe before deciding there is none.
Where to find the mint mark
Hold the coin in good light and use a 5x to 10x loupe. These positions come from our series pages.
| Coin | Where the mark is |
|---|---|
| Lincoln Wheat Cent | On the obverse, below the date. |
| Buffalo Nickel | On the reverse, below the words FIVE CENTS. |
| Jefferson War Nickel | On the reverse, a large P, D or S above the dome of Monticello. Wartime nickels are the only ones to carry a P for Philadelphia. |
| Mercury Dime | On the reverse, to the left of the fasces, between the E in ONE and the base of the olive branch. |
| Roosevelt Dime | On the reverse, at the lower left to the left of the torch. |
| Washington Quarter | On the reverse, below the wreath. |
| Washington Quarter (Clad) | From 1968, on the obverse to the right of Washington's neck., and none carry one in 1965 to 1967. |
| Walking Liberty Half Dollar | On the obverse below the letters TR of TRUST for 1916 and some 1917 coins; on the reverse near the lower left rim from later 1917 onward. |
| Franklin Half Dollar | On the reverse, above the yoke of the bell and below the E in STATES. |
| Kennedy Half Dollar | 1964: on the reverse beneath the eagle's claws. 1968 onward: on the obverse below the bust. |
| Morgan Dollar | On the reverse, below the wreath and above the letters ONE. |
| Peace Dollar | On the reverse, at the lower left near the word ONE. |
| Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | On the obverse, just above the date. The 1907 High Relief coins carry no mint mark. |
| Eisenhower Dollar | On the obverse, below Eisenhower's bust. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Susan B. Anthony Dollar | On the obverse, beside Anthony's shoulder. Philadelphia coins carry a P, the first P on a US coin since the wartime nickels. |
| Indian Head Cent | On the reverse, below the wreath (San Francisco only, 1908 and 1909). All other dates were struck in Philadelphia and have no mint mark. |
| Standing Liberty Quarter | On the obverse, at the base of the wall to the left of Liberty's visible foot. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
| Barber Dime | On the reverse, beneath the wreath. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. |
Key dates where the mint mark matters
Same date, four marks: the 1893 Morgan dollar
| Issue | Mintage | Mint |
|---|---|---|
| 1893 Morgan Dollar | 378,000 | Philadelphia |
| 1893-CC Morgan Dollar | 677,000 | Carson City |
| 1893-O Morgan Dollar | 300,000 | New Orleans |
| 1893-S Morgan Dollar | 100,000 | San Francisco |
All four are 1893 and 90% silver. The mint mark tells you which one: the 100,000 struck in San Francisco are the scarcest.
Where the mark sets the mintage: Lincoln cents and Mercury dimes
| Issue | Mintage | Mint |
|---|---|---|
| 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln Wheat Cent | 484,000 | San Francisco |
| 1914-D Lincoln Wheat Cent | 1,193,000 | Denver |
| 1916-D Mercury Dime | 264,000 | Denver |
| 1932-D Washington Quarter | 436,800 | Denver |
In each case the Philadelphia coin of the same year was struck in the millions, so a missing or different mint mark changes what the coin is.
Our pages cover every date and mark in these series. Search a date on the coin catalog to see its mintage and melt value.
How to check your coin
- Find the date. The mark rules depend on the year.
- Find the mark in the spot listed above. Tilt the coin so light rakes across the field. A small letter can hide in a worn or toned area.
- Compare to the mintage for that date and mark. Low mintage dates are the ones that matter.
- Be careful with expensive dates. Mint marks have been added to common coins to fake scarce ones. For a coin that would be worth real money with its mark, have PCGS or NGC authenticate it before paying or selling.
- Check the metal. A coin may be worth more for its silver than as a common date. See how to tell if a coin is silver.
Sources
- Mint facilities, dates and marks: Wikipedia, Mint mark (United States section), which cites the US Mint and R.S. Yeoman, A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book).
- Position of the mark and mintages: the series pages on Lustre, each of which lists its own sources (Wikipedia, citing the Red Book; Landofcoins mintage tables; PCGS and NGC price guides for key dates).
- For authentication of altered marks: PCGS and NGC.
Not investment advice. Lustre is not investment, tax or legal advice. Prices move and you can lose money buying metals or coins. Read the editorial policy to see how prices and figures are sourced.
Quick answers
What does the mint mark on a coin mean?
It is a letter that shows which US Mint facility struck the coin. P is Philadelphia, D is Denver, S is San Francisco and W is West Point. Older coins also use O (New Orleans), CC (Carson City) and C or D for the Charlotte and Dahlonega gold mints.
What does it mean if a coin has no mint mark?
On most US coins dated before 1980 it means the coin was struck in Philadelphia. Some coins have no mint mark for other reasons: all US coins dated 1965 to 1967, and Philadelphia Lincoln cents from 1980 to 2016.
Where is the mint mark on a coin?
It depends on the coin and the year. On a Lincoln wheat cent it is under the date. On a Mercury dime it is on the back, left of the bundle of rods. On a Morgan dollar it is on the back, under the wreath. The table on this page lists the spot for each series.
Which mint mark is rarest?
It depends on the coin. A mint mark is only rare when that mint struck few coins of that date, such as the 1909-S V.D.B. cent (484,000), the 1916-D dime (264,000) or the 1893-S Morgan dollar (100,000).
Does the mint mark change what a coin is worth?
Often. Two coins with the same date and different mint marks can differ in price by a lot, because the mints struck very different numbers. Silver and gold coins are always worth at least their metal value.
Try it on your coins
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