What Is a Mint Mark on Coins?

What Is A Mint Mark

• A mint mark is a small mark on a coin that indicates where it was minted.

History Of Mint Marks

• The Greeks and Romans started the practice of mint marks. The United States joined the practice on March 3, 1835 with the establishment of the first branch mints.

What The Mint Mark Means

• In the United States, the most common marks are the letters D and S. The D represents coins minted at the Denver mint. Coins minted at the San Francisco mint bear the S. Other mint marks include P (Philadelphia) and W (West Point).

Where To Find The Mark

• The mint mark is found on the field of the coin. The field is the background portion of the coin not used for design or text. According to the United States Mint, coins minted after 1968 have the mint mark on the front of the coin, where as previous to 1965 many marks were placed on the back side.

No Mint Mark

• Due to the Coinage Act of 1965, coins from 1965 to 1967 do not have mint marks. Also, if all of one style of coin, such as the Shield Nickel (1866-83), is minted in the same mint, no mark is used.