US coin guides

Key dates, mintages, varieties and errors of US pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars, with how to find the mint mark and what drives value.

Mintage figures come from US Mint reports; varieties and errors are described from official and numismatic reference sources listed on each page. Start with the mint mark guide if you are not sure where to look.

• Lincoln wheat penny value: key dates, mintages and what to checkWheat penny value guide: Lincoln wheat cent key dates 1909-1958 with official mintages, metal changes, mint marks and what makes a common cent rare.
• 1909-S VDB penny: mintage, history and how to tell a genuine one1909-S VDB penny guide: why the VDB initials were removed, the 484,000 mintage, where the S mint mark sits and how to spot added-S and added-VDB fakes.
• Where is the mint mark? A coin-by-coin guide for US coinsWhere is the mint mark on US coins? Locations on pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, halves and dollars, what P, D, S, W, O and CC mean, and years with none.
• 1914-D penny: mintage, value factors and how to spot an altered coin1914-D penny guide: the Mint's 1,193,000 mintage, why it is a key date, and how to spot altered 1944-D cents, added D mint marks and counterfeits.
• How to tell if a coin is silver: dates, edge, weight and safe testsHow to tell if a coin is silver: which US dates are 90%, 40% or 35% silver, edge and weight checks, magnet and ring test limits, and how to work out melt value.
• 1922 No D penny: strong reverse, weak D and how to check yours1922 No D penny guide: why every 1922 cent came from Denver, how the D vanished, strong reverse vs weak D vs weak reverse, and how to spot a scraped D.
• 1931-S penny: low mintage, hoard stories and how to check yours1931-S penny guide: the Mint's 866,000 mintage, why San Francisco made so few cents in 1931, the disputed hoard story and how to spot an added S.
• 1943 steel penny: mintages, rare copper errors and how to check yours1943 steel penny guide: why cents were zinc-coated steel, mintages by mint, the rare 1943 copper and 1944 steel errors, the magnet test and common fakes.
• 1955 doubled die penny: how to identify the real thing1955 doubled die penny: what a doubled die is, how many were released, how to tell it from machine doubling, known fakes and other famous Lincoln doubled dies.
• Lincoln Memorial penny errors and varieties worth looking forLincoln Memorial penny errors to check: 1969-S and 1972 doubled dies, 1970-S small date, 1982 copper vs zinc, 1984 doubled ear, 1992 close AM and wide AM cents.
• Jefferson nickel value: key dates, varieties and what to look forJefferson nickel value guide (1938-present): key dates 1939-D and 1950-D, mintages, 1939 reverse varieties, Full Steps, and the 2004-2006 design changes.
• Buffalo nickel value: key dates, types and famous varietiesBuffalo nickel value guide: Type 1 vs Type 2, key dates 1913-S, 1921-S and 1926-S, the 1918/7-D, 1916 doubled die, 1937-D three-legged and dateless coins.
• Mercury dime value: key dates, overdates and Full Split BandsMercury dime value guide (1916-1945): 90% silver content, key dates 1916-D, 1921 and 1921-D, the 1942/1 overdates, Full Split Bands and where the mint mark is.
• Roosevelt dime value: silver dates, errors and the coins worth findingRoosevelt dime value guide: which dimes are 90% silver, the 1965 clad switch, the 1982 no-P error, the 1996-W, No-S proofs and how to check yours.
• War nickels 1942-1945: silver content, mintages and how to spot oneWar nickel guide: the 35% silver alloy, the big P, D or S above Monticello, mintages for 1942-1945, the 1943/2-P overdate and the fake 1944 nickels without a P.
• Washington quarter value: key dates, silver years and mint marksWashington quarter value guide: the 1932-D and 1932-S keys, silver quarters through 1964, the bicentennial drummer, state and park quarters, mint mark spots.
• State quarter errors: which ones are real and worth checkingState quarter errors worth checking: 2004-D Wisconsin extra leaf, 2005-P Minnesota doubled die, Kansas 'In God We Rust', plus the lowest-mintage state quarters.
• Kennedy half dollar value: silver years, key dates and varietiesKennedy half dollar value guide: 1964 90% silver, 1965-1970 40% silver, the 1970-D mint-set issue, the 1974-D doubled die and 1964 accented hair proof.
• Morgan dollar key dates: the rare years, mint marks and mintagesMorgan silver dollar key dates explained: 1893-S, 1889-CC, 1894, 1895 and more, with mintages, where the mint mark is and how to spot fakes.
• Peace dollar key dates: 1921 high relief, 1928 and 1934-SPeace silver dollar key dates 1921 to 1935: 1921 high relief, 1928, 1934-S, full mintage table, where the mint mark is and the 1964-D Peace dollar story.
• Sacagawea dollar errors and varieties worth checkingValuable Sacagawea dollar errors and varieties: the 2000-P Cheerios dollar, Wounded Eagle die gouge, quarter mule, missing edge lettering and low-mintage years.
• Presidential dollar errors: missing, doubled and upside-down edge letteringPresidential $1 coin errors explained: 2007 Washington 'Godless' dollars with no edge lettering, doubled edge lettering, normal upside-down lettering and fakes.

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Coin Scanner identifies a coin from a photo of both sides, reads the date and mint mark, and gives an estimated value range so you know whether it deserves a closer look.