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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,484 |
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Valued Member
United States
54 Posts |
So there are three mint markings
P Philadelphia
D Denver
S San Francisco
What makes the same coin more valuable from one mint than another?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10038 Posts |
 Normally the amount minted dictates rarity. When not a lot of a specific con are available, there are not enough to go around so the price escalates. Sometimes in the past, such as with the 1950-D nickel, even though the mintage was low, many of these specific nickels were put away and so many survive in mint state. The price of these has changed little over the years b/c its always easy to get one in mint condition. I edited this to add that there are more mint marks on US coins than just O, D, and S. Currently the US also mint special issue coins (such as proof American Silver Eagles) at West Point and these coins are marked with a W. In the past there was a mint in New Orleans so some coins have an O. One was in Carson City and used the CC mark. Some gold coins from 1838-1861 bear a D from the mint that was in Dahlonega, GA. Edited by Earle42
10/10/2016 9:46 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5174 Posts |
You forgot the C for Charlotte (also 1838-1861, I believe, and also only gold).
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4593 Posts |
Plus M for Manila - used on US Minting Philippine coins.
Note that only SOME coins manufactured at West Point are marked W.
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Valued Member
Canada
458 Posts |
nice if they minted San Francisco coins for circulation again
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
A couple more things to mention- From 1965-67, no mintmarks were used regardless of the mint at which a coin was struck. I believe West Point (and San Francisco too, I think) has minted coins for Philadelphia in recent years if Philly can't meet its quota. These coins are unmarked, as Bstrauss mentioned. There are many factors that determine rarity. Earle42 said that mintage figures are important, and they are a major (perhaps the most important) factor. Another, relatively minor, factor is geography- 1968-74 S-mint Lincolns, which generally have lower mintages than their counterparts from Denver and Philly, are apparently fairly rare on the East Coast, while here on the West Coast they're relatively easy to find. Sometimes special circumstances can lead to major price differences. When the 1903-O Morgan dollars were struck, the vast majority were locked away in the treasury, with very few entering circulation. They became incredibly valuable compared to Philadelphia coins of the same date, despite very similar mintages. Then the price suddenly dropped when many bags of them were released in 1962. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts |
Quote:
What makes the same coin more valuable from one mint than another? Only two things. How many were saved intentionally or accidently (the supply) compared to how many collectors want (the demand). In the old days the supply was determined principally by mintage and low mintage coins were scarce while high mintage were common but this changed in 1931 when millions and millions of coin collectors got started. The Great Depression spawned millions of coin collectors and these folks saved new coin and especially low mintage pennies. Then in 1965 everybody quit saving any new coins at all but it doesn't matter because there are so few collectors for base metal moderns. Now days it tends to be the highest mintage coins that are poorly saved while people do save the low mintage ones. It's really quite complex with coins like the bicentennial quarter being set aside by the millions while the DE quarter can be scarce in choice condition but common in typical condition. Mint marks are a very large determinant of the number that get saved because they identify mintages and because different sections of the country save different coins. The western US tends to save more clad than the east, for instance. This appears to be caused by the fact that they don't hate the coins as much and, probably, because Denver quality is far superior to Philly. People just don't want to save the junk in a brand new roll of Philly mintage. Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
The strangest anomaly from my experience are the 1968-70 S nickels. S-mint cents are rare here on the east coast, but the S-mint nickels are pretty common, so much so that it's easy to find them in high grades. Maybe people don't notice because of the smaller and less prominent mint marks? I am also shocked that the grading companies have never made a slab for the San Francisco minted coins without a mint mark. Some members on here recall seeing shiny, "Philadelphia" cents in circulation in the San Francisco area, just a few weeks after the official release date. No big mystery about those coins! |
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Valued Member
 United States
54 Posts |
DE quarter? Clad? Definition please, and thanks!
Denver superior to Philly? What are the reasons?
Westerners love coins more?
Very interesting info!
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Moderator
 United States
54282 Posts |
It would help me, and maybe others, if you phrased your questions in complete sentences.
Show your financial support of the Coin Community Family (click here)See my topic on Mexican Numismatic Medals (click here) |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
DE quarter? Clad? Definition please, and thanks!
DE quarter = The first of the State Quarters issued in 1999 honoring the first state Delaware. Clad = The three layer composition of the currenct US dime, quarter, half and dollar. The coins are made of an outer layer of either 75% copper 25% nickel (dime, quarter, half, Ike and SBA dollars) or a copper, manganese, zinc, and nickel alloy (Sac, NA, and President dollars) In each case they are bonded or "clad" to a pure copper core layer. There are also some silver clad coins made up of two outer layers of 80% silver 20% copper bonded to a center layer of 79% copper 21% silver. The overall composition being 40% silver 60% copper. These are referred to as 40% silver clad coins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
One thing to remember about value in coins. Popularity. As rumors spread about something in coins, the values also are effected. For example once the S mint started not making regular coins for circulation, people started running around saving anything with an S mint mark. |
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Pillar of the Community
Norway
1358 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
54 Posts |
Thanks again for all the info. The glossary is a great idea, but I find it won't load properly on my iPad. It just keeps reloading and saying there was a problem with the page.
Edited by IamCam
10/11/2016 4:32 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Good luck, and - to the CCF! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
Quote:I am also shocked that the grading companies have never made a slab for the San Francisco minted coins without a mint mark. Some members on here recall seeing shiny, "Philadelphia" cents in circulation in the San Francisco area, just a few weeks after the official release date. No big mystery about those coins! Unless there are known die markers or other identifying marks for San Francisco coins with no mintmark, there's really way to prove that the "Philadelphia" coin you got a few weeks after release wasn't received in change in Philadelphia two days earlier and spent after flying across the country in someone's pocket. |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,484 |
Posted 10/10/2016 10:49 pm
