What Is a Mint Mark on a Penny?

Every US penny has several identifying marks and images that help to identify its mint date, mint origin, and more. Certain penny marks can tell you whether one penny or another is more valuable or suitable for your collection. Continue reading to learn more about "what is a Mint Mark on a Penny".

Among the most important marks are mint marks, which tell you where a given penny was minted. Let’s take a closer look at mint marks and what they mean on U.S. pennies now.

What Are the Different U.S. Mint Marks on U.S. Coins?

Put simply: mint marks are identifying symbols that tell viewers where a coin was created, indicating the U.S. Mint facility that produced the coin originally. While other countries may use several letters or symbols to indicate a coin's original production facility, the U.S. Mint originally used no symbols. Later, it transitioned to a system of using one or two letters to indicate a specific mint facility.

Furthermore, because some Mint facilities no longer create new coins, mint marks can tell you, at least roughly, the age of a particular coin. For example, if you have a coin marked with “CC," you know the coin was made in Carson City, Nevada.

But because that Mint facility only produced new coins from 1870 to 1893, you know that your coin was created between those two dates. Thus, a mint mark is a valuable tool for coin collectors to identify the age and value of a new coin and start narrowing down the piece’s other historical attributes.

U.S. mint marks on coins are deliberately placed or designed so that they don’t wear down too quickly. This allows coins to be identified and dated for longer than they would be otherwise. However, some mint marks do wear down with time. This can make them hard to identify or date. The visibility of a coin’s mint mark is a major part of its rating on the coin grading scale.

At the time of this writing, there are eight different mint marks you can find on U.S. coins. Let’s break down what those mint marks are and the minting years they indicate.

Carson City Mint, Nevada: CC

The Carson City, Nevada branch of the U.S. Mint originally marked its minted coins with "CC." This practice continued between the years 1870 to 1893. However, Carson City no longer mints coins, so there are no new coins with a CC mint mark.

Charlotte Mint, North Carolina: C

Charlotte, North Carolina, originally used “C” to mark the coins that this branch of the Mint created. This mint mark was used between 1838 and 1861. As with Carson City, Charlotte no longer mints official U.S. coinage.

Dahlonega Mint, Georgia: D

Dahlonega, Georgia’s mint mark for newly minted coinage is “D." This branch of the Mint produced new coins for the U.S. from 1838 to 1861, the same years as the Charlotte branch. Again, this branch of the Mint no longer makes new coins, so new coins don’t have this mark.

Denver Mint, Colorado: D

Denver, Colorado, is home to one of the currently operating branches of the U.S. Mint. All coins made at this facility bear the "D" mark previously used for the Georgia branch. This mint mark started being used by the Denver Mint in 1906 and is still being used today.

New Orleans Mint: O

The New Orleans Mint branch used an “O” mark to identify all the coins minted here. It minted new coins for two distinct periods: 1838 to 1861 and 1879 to 1909. Like many of the other branches, the New Orleans Mint no longer produces new coins.

Philadelphia Mint: P

The Philadelphia Mint is still in operation and still making new coins. Some new coins from here bear a “P” mint mark. The Philadelphia Mint produced new coins from 1942 to 1945, then started up again in 1979, and has continued until the present day.

Notably, the Philadelphia Mint facility has not marked most of its coins with a “P” mark. That’s because the Philadelphia Mint office is the primary production facility for the Mint overall, rather than a state subsidiary office. There has been one notable exception in Lincoln pennies (which we’ll explain later).

San Francisco Mint, California: S

The San Francisco Mint followed a similar pattern to the Philadelphia Mint. It minted coins from 1854 to 1955. In 1966, it started back up again and still mints new coins to this day. All coins minted in San Francisco bear an “S” mark.

West Point Mint, New York: W

The West Point branch of the U.S. Mint marks all new coins created here with a "W" symbol. This branch began minting coins in 1984 and still creates new coins in the present day.

What Is the “P” Mint Mark on Pennies?

The “P” mint mark on pennies is a recent mint mark only added to Lincoln pennies starting in 2017. This is because previously, the Philadelphia Mint operated according to a tradition that did not put “P” mint marks on its pennies.

The change occurred to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Mint's founding date, taking many collectors by surprise.

What Pennies Don’t Have Mint Marks?

While the majority of pennies do have mint marks, this isn't the case for all pennies in circulation. It all starts with a decision in 1943.

That year, a large “P” letter was put on the reverse side of the Jefferson nickel. This indicated that the material or metal composition of the coin was different than it had been previously. It switched from 25% nickel and 75% copper to a mixture of 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% magnesium.

The metallic content switch for Jefferson nickels continued through 1945. In 1979, the U.S. Mint stopped this tradition and placed a smaller "P" letter on the obverse side of Philadelphia-minted Susan B Anthony dollars. The same "P" letter was then added to every remaining U.S. coin minted in Philadelphia except for the Lincoln penny.

Why the shift? It was partially due to convenience. There were so many Lincoln pennies in circulation that the Philadelphia Mint knew that trying to collect them all would be very difficult, if not impossible.

Therefore, Lincoln cents continued not to have a P mint mark from the Philadelphia Mint until 2016. In 2017, the Mint added a new mint mark, "P," to all 2017 Lincoln pennies manufactured in Philadelphia. This celebrated the 225th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Mint.

So, in summary, if you have a Lincoln penny minted in Philadelphia from before 2017, it doesn’t have a “P” mint mark.

Rare Pennies for Sale

Each penny has a distinct mint mark that can help you determine whether it’s a good choice to add to your collection or if it’s valuable. Even better, a penny’s mint mark tells you roughly how old the penny is and where it came from.

You can find rare pennies with different mint marks, in addition to other rare coins, at dealers like Bullion Shark. Our extensive selection is perfect for collectors just like you, so it’s easier than ever to find your next prized piece.

Sources:

Mint Marks | U.S. Mint

Mintmarks on United States Coins | ANA Coin Press

Penny | U.S. Mint

FAQ

1. What is a mint mark on a penny? A mint mark is a small letter stamped on a coin to indicate the mint where the coin was produced. For pennies, the mint mark is typically found below the date on the obverse (front) side of the coin.
2. Where are the mint marks located on U.S. pennies? On U.S. pennies, the mint mark is located on the obverse side, just below the date.
3. What do the different mint marks on pennies mean? The most common mint marks on U.S. pennies are "D" for Denver, "S" for San Francisco, and no mark for coins minted at the Philadelphia Mint. Historically, there was also an "O" for New Orleans and "CC" for Carson City, but these mints did not produce pennies.
4. Which pennies do not have mint marks? Pennies minted at the Philadelphia Mint generally do not have a mint mark, especially in years before 1980. However, since 2017, the Philadelphia Mint started adding a "P" mint mark to pennies.
5. Why don’t all pennies have mint marks? Historically, the Philadelphia Mint, as the main mint of the United States, did not use a mint mark. This tradition continued until recently, to differentiate its production from branch mints.
6. Are pennies without mint marks rare? Pennies without mint marks are not necessarily rare since many were produced in Philadelphia, especially in earlier years. However, specific years or conditions (like error coins) can increase rarity.
7. How do mint marks affect the value of a penny? Mint marks can affect the value of a penny if the production at a particular mint was low for that year, or if there are anomalies related to the mint mark such as double stamping or errors.
8. What is the most valuable mint mark on a penny? The most valuable mint mark on a penny is typically the "S" mint mark from the San Francisco Mint, especially for older coins or those in better condition. Limited edition proofs or special issues from San Francisco tend to be more sought after by collectors.
9. Can a penny have more than one mint mark? Legitimately, a penny should only have one mint mark. If a penny has more than one mint mark, it is likely an error or a counterfeit.
10. How can you tell if a penny’s mint mark is genuine? To verify the authenticity of a mint mark, examine the coin under magnification for signs of tampering or alteration. Genuine mint marks will have the same patina and wear as the rest of the coin and will be well-aligned with other design elements.