Where is the mint mark? A coin-by-coin guide for US coins

The mint mark is a small letter that shows which Mint struck the coin. On modern coins (1968 and later) it is on the obverse, near the date; on older silver and nickel coins it is usually on the reverse; and on Presidential and post-2008 Native American dollars it is on the edge. Lincoln cents always carry it under the date.

By the Coin Scanner team · Updated 2026-10-13

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What the mint mark letters mean

In its early years the Mint had only its Philadelphia facility, so coins needed no mark. Letters first appeared in 1838, when branch mints opened in Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans. This table follows the U.S. Mint's own list:

The date tells you which D you have: a D on a coin from 1906 or later is Denver.

When there is no mint mark

• Philadelphia, most years. The P first appeared in 1942 on the wartime silver-alloy nickels, was dropped after the war, returned in 1979 on the Susan B. Anthony dollar and in 1980 spread to every denomination except the cent. Cents got a P only in 2017, for the Mint's 225th anniversary.
• 1965 to 1967. The Coinage Act of 1965 removed mint marks from all circulating coins for three years, to discourage collectors from hoarding while the Mint caught up with demand. When they came back in 1968 they moved from the reverse to the obverse.
• Some cents from other mints. According to the Mint, cents struck at West Point from 1973 to 1986, and some San Francisco cents of that era, carried no mark and look identical to Philadelphia coins.
• Missing by mistake. Occasionally a die was never punched with its letter. The 1922 "No D" cent is the famous example.

Cents: under the date, every year

The Lincoln cent is the easy one. From 1909 to today the D, S, P or W sits on the obverse just below the date. That is where to look on key dates such as the 1909-S VDB, 1914-D and 1931-S, on 1943 steel cents, and on later Memorial cents. The 1955 doubled die has no letter because it came from Philadelphia. For values across the series, see the Lincoln wheat penny value guide.

Nickels

Buffalo nickel: on the reverse, under the words FIVE CENTS at the bottom, according to CoinWeek's 1915-S guide. See our Buffalo nickel value guide.

Jefferson nickel, 1938-1964: a small D or S on the reverse, to the right of Monticello. Wartime nickels (late 1942-1945): a large P, D or S above Monticello's dome, which marks the silver-alloy coins covered in our war nickels guide. 1968 onward: on the obverse at the lower right, just after the date. More in the Jefferson nickel value guide.

Dimes

Mercury dime: on the reverse, just to the right of the word ONE at the bottom. Check this carefully on a 1916 dime: CoinWeek warns that most fake 1916-D dimes are genuine 1916 Philadelphia dimes with a D added. See the Mercury dime value guide.

Roosevelt dime: through 1964 the S or D is on the reverse at the lower left of the torch (CoinWeek, 1949-S guide). From 1968 it is on the obverse, above the last digit of the date. W dimes from West Point were issued in 1996 and 2015. See the Roosevelt dime value guide.

Quarters

Washington quarter, 1932-1964: on the reverse, centered between the stems of the olive branches below the eagle (CoinWeek, 1932-D guide). 1968 onward: on the obverse, to the right of Washington's hair ribbon. Older quarters may contain silver; see how to tell if a coin is silver. In 2019 West Point struck 10 million quarters with a W, the first W on a circulating coin. More in the Washington quarter value guide and state quarter errors.

Half dollars

Kennedy half dollar: 1964 coins carry the D on the reverse, following the pre-1968 rule. From 1968 the mark is on the obverse, just to the right of the point of Kennedy's neck, above the date (CoinWeek, 1970-D guide). See the Kennedy half dollar value guide.

Dollars

Morgan dollar: on the reverse, centered above the D and O of DOLLAR, just under the bow of the wreath. This is where you will find the CC, O, S or D that makes many dates scarce; see Morgan dollar key dates.

Peace dollar (1921-1935): on the reverse, beneath the word ONE near the tips of the eagle's wings (CoinWeek, 1934-S guide). See Peace dollar key dates.

Sacagawea dollar: from 2000 to 2008 the P, D or S is centered below the date on the obverse. From 2009 the date and mint mark moved to the lettered edge. Presidential dollars (2007 on): the edge carries the mottos, the date and the mint mark, so turn the coin on its side (CoinWeek). Coins missing that edge lettering are a known error; see Presidential dollar errors and Sacagawea dollar errors.

Tips for reading a mint mark

1. Tilt the coin under a single bright light; small letters show up better at an angle than straight on.
2. Use a 5x-10x loupe; the letters are small and easy to confuse with wear or dirt.
3. Read the date first. It tells you which side to check and whether a mark should be there at all.
4. Be suspicious of a valuable letter that looks too thick, sits slightly off, or has marks around it; added mint marks are a classic alteration.

Coin Scanner can do the reading for you: photograph both sides and it identifies the coin, reads the date and mint mark, and shows an estimated value range. Values are estimates; if the mint mark makes your coin a key date, have it authenticated and graded by a professional service before you sell it.

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