How to Tell the Date of a Real Coin

Pick up the coin in question and look for a four-digit number, usually indicating the year of production. For example, if you have a U.S. quarter and it reads 1984, you know the coin was minted in 1984. Some U.S. coins have extended dates, such as the bicentennial quarters which read 1776-1976. Use the 1976 to determine the mint date.

Hold the coin under a magnifying glass if the stamps or lettering are very small. Look for any numbers that indicate the year made. For U.S. coins, look for a letter next to or above the year date. These are Mint Marks, standard on all U.S. coins due to the 1835 Act to mint coins with letters indicating where they originated from. (This process is based in Greek history, dating back centuries).

Look for any U.S. coins with dates of 1964 or 1965. The Coinage Act of 1965 dictated that any U.S. coin made of 90 percent or more silver would still bear the 1964 date instead of 1965. To determine the exact age of 1964 and 1965 coins, look at the edge of quarters or dimes. If you see copper colors on the serrated edges, they are from 1965 and are modern copper mixed coins. If the edges are all silver, they are either 1964 or 1965 coins.

Look for pennies or dimes with 1976 dates. These are the only single-dated coins for that year. All other U.S. coins produced in 1976 have the 1776-1976 markings. As of Jan. 1, 1977, the coins reverted back to single-date stamps.