Where Is the Mint Mark on US Coins? [Location Chart]
On modern US coins the mint mark is a small letter on the front (obverse): below the date on Lincoln cents, below the date on Jefferson nickels, above the date on Roosevelt dimes, at the lower right on Washington quarters, and between Kennedy’s neck and the date on half dollars. Before 1965 most of these coins carried it on the back. P is Philadelphia, D Denver, S San Francisco and W West Point. Coins dated 1965 to 1967 have no mint mark, and Philadelphia cents have none except those dated 2017.
Mint mark location chart
| Coin | Years | Where the mint mark is |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln cent | 1909 onward | Front, below the date |
| Indian Head cent | 1908 to 1909 | Back, below the wreath |
| Buffalo nickel | 1913 to 1938 | Back, below FIVE CENTS |
| Jefferson nickel | 1938 to 1942, 1946 to 1964 | Back, right of Monticello |
| Jefferson nickel (wartime alloy) | 1942 to 1945 | Back, large letter above Monticello’s dome, including P |
| Jefferson nickel | 1968 to 2004 | Front, lower right, just below the date |
| Jefferson nickel | 2005 | Front, under LIBERTY, above the date |
| Jefferson nickel | 2006 to 2025 | Front, below the date |
| Mercury dime | 1916 to 1945 | Back, left of the bundle of rods (fasces), near the rim |
| Roosevelt dime | 1946 to 1964 | Back, left of the base of the torch |
| Roosevelt dime | 1968 to 2025 | Front, above the date |
| Washington quarter | 1932 to 1964 | Back, below the wreath, above QUARTER DOLLAR |
| Washington quarter | 1968 to 2021 | Front, lower right, to the right of Washington’s neck and ponytail |
| Washington quarter | 2022 to 2025 | Front, just below the date |
| Kennedy half dollar | 1964 | Back, left of the eagle’s tail, below the claw holding the olive branch |
| Kennedy half dollar | 1968 to 2025 | Front, below Kennedy’s neck, above the date |
| Morgan dollar | 1878 to 1921 | Back, below the wreath, above DO in DOLLAR |
| Presidential dollar | 2007 onward | On the edge, in the edge lettering |
Front means the side with the portrait (obverse); back means the reverse. No coin dated 1965 to 1967 has a mint mark. Coins dated 2026 carry special designs for the 250th anniversary of independence, such as a Liberty dime and a Statue of Liberty half dollar, so look at the coin itself rather than this chart for those. Check a catalog such as the Red Book before buying or selling based on a mint mark.
Where is the mint mark on a Kennedy half dollar?
- 1964: on the back. Look to the left of the eagle’s tail feathers, just below the claw holding the olive branch and above the HA of HALF. Only Denver coins (1964-D) have a letter there; Philadelphia coins have none.
- 1965 to 1967: no mint mark on any coin.
- 1968 onward: on the front, in the small space between the bottom of Kennedy’s neck and the date. D and S coins have carried a letter since 1968; Philadelphia coins have carried a P since 1980.
If your 1964 half has no letter by the eagle, it is a Philadelphia coin, not a missing mark.
Where is the mint mark on a Roosevelt dime?
- 1946 to 1964: on the back, to the left of the base of the torch, near the bottom of the coin. Philadelphia dimes from these years have no letter.
- 1965 to 1967: none.
- 1968 onward: on the front, directly above the date. P appears from 1980. A 1982 dime with no mark is the known no-P error and worth having checked.
The small JS below Roosevelt’s neck is the designer’s initials (John Sinnock), not a mint mark.
Where is the mint mark on a quarter?
- 1932 to 1964 (silver): on the back, below the wreath under the eagle, just above QUARTER DOLLAR.
- 1965 to 1967: none.
- 1968 to 2021: on the front, at the lower right, to the right of Washington’s neck behind the ribbon of his ponytail. This covers the state, territory, America the Beautiful and 2021 quarters.
- 2022 to 2025: these use a different portrait of Washington facing right, and the mint mark sits on the front just below the date.
W quarters struck at West Point were released into circulation in 2019 and 2020, so a W is not a fake.
Where is the mint mark on a nickel?
A mint mark on a nickel is the same as on any coin: a P, D or S showing which mint struck it. Where it sits depends on the year:
- 1938 to 1942 and 1946 to 1964: on the back, to the right of Monticello, between the building and the rim. A 1946 nickel has it here.
- 1942 to 1945: wartime nickels made of a copper, silver and manganese alloy have a large P, D or S above Monticello’s dome. This was the first time the P was used on any US coin. Some 1942 nickels are the regular alloy with the small mark to the right of the building.
- 1968 to 2004: on the front, at the lower right, just below the date.
- 2005: on the front, under the word LIBERTY.
- 2006 onward: on the front, below the date.
Where is the mint mark on a penny?
On every Lincoln cent since 1909 the mint mark is on the front, directly below the date. D and S cents carry a letter; Philadelphia cents have none, except those dated 2017, which carry a P. The famous 1909-S VDB has its S in the same place. The Mint struck its last cents for circulation in November 2025.
What a mint mark is and which mints use which letters
A mint mark is a small letter stamped into a coin to show which branch of the US Mint made it. Philadelphia, the first US mint, used no mark for most of its history, which is why many coins have none.
| Mark | Mint | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No mark | Usually Philadelphia | Philadelphia used no mark before 1980, except 1942 to 1945 nickels; cents still carry none |
| P | Philadelphia | On most coins since 1980 and on the Susan B. Anthony dollar from 1979; on cents only in 2017 |
| D | Denver | Since 1906. On gold coins from 1838 to 1861, D means Dahlonega, Georgia |
| S | San Francisco | Since 1854; today mostly proof and collector coins |
| W | West Point | Mostly bullion and commemorative coins; W quarters were released into circulation in 2019 and 2020 |
| CC | Carson City, Nevada | 1870 to 1893 |
| O | New Orleans | 1838 to 1861 and 1879 to 1909 |
| C | Charlotte, North Carolina | Gold coins only, 1838 to 1861 |
The four mints working today are Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco and West Point. Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans stopped striking coins at the start of the Civil War in 1861; New Orleans reopened from 1879 to 1909. A CC, O, C or Dahlonega D therefore dates a coin to the 1800s or early 1900s, and these are often scarce.
How to tell where a coin was minted
- Find the coin in the chart above and look at the spot it gives for that year.
- Read the letter there and match it to the table of mints.
- If there is no letter, the coin is most likely from Philadelphia, or it is dated 1965 to 1967, or the mark has worn away.
Coins from other countries use their own systems. German euro coins, for example, carry A, D, F, G or J for the five German mints, and many countries use a small symbol instead of a letter.
Why does my coin have no mint mark?
- It was made in Philadelphia before 1980, or it is a cent from any year other than 2017.
- It is dated 1965, 1966 or 1967. The Mint left mint marks off all coins in those years.
- It is worn. Mint marks are small and sit near the rim or date, which wear first. Try raking light before deciding it is missing.
- It is a known error. A few famous coins lack a mark that should be there, such as the 1922 “no D” cent and the 1982 no-P dime. These are valuable, so have one authenticated.
Mint mark or designer initials?
Small letters on a coin are not always mint marks. Designer initials are the usual mix-up:
- VDB on Lincoln cents: Victor David Brenner, on the back at the bottom in 1909, and on Lincoln’s shoulder from 1918.
- FG on Lincoln Memorial cents (1959 to 2008): Frank Gasparro, on the back to the right of the building.
- JS on Roosevelt dimes: John Sinnock, on the front below the neck.
How to read a tiny or worn mint mark
- Use light from a low angle. Hold a light almost level with the coin so the raised letter casts a shadow. Overhead light flattens it.
- Rotate the coin. Turn it slowly under the light. A worn letter often shows at one angle only.
- Magnify 5x to 10x. That is enough to read the letter. More helps for repunched mint marks, where an earlier punch leaves a doubled outline (for example a D over another D, or a D over an S).
- Photograph it. A sharp photo lets you compare with catalog images and ask other collectors. Hold coins by the edge so you do not leave fingerprints.
LoupeLens keeps the flashlight on while you zoom up to 40x, and you can dim it to cut glare on shiny proof coins. More on lighting and photographing coins is in coin collecting with a digital loupe and on the coin magnifier app page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the mint mark on a Kennedy half dollar?
On 1964 halves it is on the back, left of the eagle’s tail and below the claw holding the olive branch (Denver coins only). From 1968 it is on the front, between Kennedy’s neck and the date. Halves dated 1965 to 1967 have none.
Where is the mint mark on a Roosevelt dime?
From 1968 it is on the front, directly above the date. On 1946 to 1964 silver dimes it is on the back, to the left of the base of the torch. Dimes dated 1965 to 1967 have none.
Where is the mint mark on a quarter?
On quarters from 1968 to 2021 it is on the front, at the lower right, to the right of Washington’s neck. On 2022 to 2025 quarters it is just below the date. On silver quarters from 1932 to 1964 it is on the back, below the wreath.
Where is the mint mark on a 1946 nickel?
On the back, to the right of Monticello, between the building and the rim. Philadelphia nickels from 1946 have no mint mark.
Where is the mint mark on a penny?
On Lincoln cents it is on the front, directly below the date. Philadelphia cents have no mint mark, except those dated 2017, which carry a P.
What does no mint mark mean?
Usually the coin was made in Philadelphia before 1980, or it is a cent. Coins dated 1965 to 1967 have no mint mark at all. A worn mark can also be hard to see without side lighting.