US coin mint marks
A mint mark is a small letter on a US coin that says which mint struck it. P is Philadelphia, D is Denver, S is San Francisco, W is West Point. Older coins can carry CC for Carson City or O for New Orleans. On most US coins struck before 1980, Philadelphia used no letter at all. A cent with nothing under the date is not an error and not a rarity — it is the commonest coin there is.
Where the letter sits, by denomination
The mint mark sits in a different spot on every denomination, and the position has changed over time on several of them. The table below is the same information that appears on each coin's own page, so the two never disagree.
| Denomination | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Penny | on the obverse, just below the date |
| Nickel | on the obverse below the date (1938–1964 and 1968 onward); above Monticello on the reverse for wartime issues |
| Dime | on the reverse near the base of the wreath before 1965, and on the obverse above the date from 1968 |
| Quarter | on the obverse to the right of Washington's ponytail |
| Half Dollar | on the obverse below Kennedy's neck (1968 onward); on the reverse below the eagle for earlier issues |
| Dollar | on the obverse below the portrait |
What each letter means
No letter — Philadelphia. The first US mint, opened 1792. It used no mint mark on most denominations until 1980, when the P appeared on everything except the cent. The cent has never carried a P.
D — Denver, striking coins since 1906. On gold coins dated 1838–1861 a D means Dahlonega, Georgia — a different mint entirely, and those are scarce.
S — San Francisco, from 1854. It struck circulating coins until 1955, stopped, resumed in 1968, and since the early 1970s has mostly made proofs and collector issues sold in sets. An S on a modern coin usually means it never circulated.
W — West Point, from 1984. Mostly bullion and commemoratives; the 2019 and 2020 quarters were the first W coins released into circulation, and they were deliberately scarce.
CC — Carson City, 1870–1893. Silver from the Comstock Lode. Low mintages and strong collector demand make CC coins the most valuable mint mark on many dates.
O — New Orleans, 1838–1909, with a gap during the Civil War.
When the mint mark changes the price
Sometimes the letter matters more than the date. On the 1943 cent, the Denver coin with a repunched mint mark is worth several hundred dollars in high grade, while the ordinary Denver coin is worth a few cents. On Morgan dollars a CC can multiply the price many times over.
But on most modern coins the letter changes very little: the mints struck them in comparable numbers, and condition decides the price. The coin pages on this site show the split mint by mint, so you can see which case you are in.
What is not a mint mark
Designer's initials. VDB on the cent is Victor David Brenner, FG is Frank Gasparro, JS is John Sinnock. They sit on the truncation of the bust or near the rim and are not mint marks.
Die letters and rotation. Small raised marks from die wear are not letters.
Damage. A scratch or a struck-through mark can look like a letter under bad light. A real mint mark is punched cleanly and sits in the same place on every coin of the type.
FAQ
What does no mint mark mean on a US coin?
It means the coin was struck at the Philadelphia mint. Philadelphia used no mint mark on most denominations until 1980, and the cent has never carried one — a blank space under the date is the normal case, not a rarity.
Which mint mark is worth the most?
As a group, CC (Carson City, 1870–1893) commands the strongest premiums, because the mint had low mintages and closed permanently. Value still depends on the specific date and condition — a common CC date in worn condition is not worth more than any other worn silver coin.
Where is the mint mark on a penny?
On the obverse, just below the date.
Why do some modern coins have a P and older ones do not?
Philadelphia added the P mint mark in 1980 to most denominations. Before that, a Philadelphia coin simply had no letter at all. The cent is the one exception — it has never carried a P.
What does an S mint mark mean on a modern coin?
Since the early 1970s, San Francisco has mostly struck proofs and collector issues sold in official sets rather than coins released into circulation. An S on a modern coin usually means it never circulated.
Can a coin have two mint marks?
No — a US coin carries at most one mint mark. What looks like a second letter is usually a designer's initials (such as VDB or FG) or damage, not a mint mark.