The "S" mintmark. Why are they so hard to find?

remainincognito

I'm new so take it easy. Are the "S" mintmarks a rarity when it comes to coins? I can't seem to find it on any coins.

magikbilly

I seem to see them all over the place

Just kidding welcome to the boards! As with a lot of things it depends on the denom, date, etc.

Best,
Billy

jdsinva

On modern coins (early 1970s on), the San Fran mint generally mints only proof issue coins which normally don't enter circulation. Prior to that, San Fran minted business strikes and proofs were minted in Philidelphia. San Francisco minted coins were sometimes minted in lower numbers than the primary mint but are generally availlable with no problems.

Jeff

cladking

San Francisco has almost invariably made fewer coins than the other mints and
at least for the last 75 years or so this has caused people to save them in great-
er quantities than they otherwise would have.

They haven't made any coins for circulation in several yeras now and haven't
used a mint mark on such issues since 1974. ('80 if you count SBA) While the
mintages of cents was very high with hundreds of millions made each year, time
has greatly reduced their numbers. They are out there but you'll need to look
through more than 20 rolls to find one. Nickels were discontinued even sooner.
These have a much lower attrition but they are buried under the mountains of
nickels made since.

There are also a significant number of S mint proofs in circulation. These may be
easier to find than the old business strikes.

remainincognito

Thank you all. Very informative.

TUMUSS

LincolnCentMan

If you're talking about pocket change, it's b/c San Fanscisco hasnt made coins for circulation since 1974. There have been literally billions of coins ciruclated into the public by the other two mints since then. Even if all the no-premium S mints were still circulating (and most probably are), they'd be swallowed up in the billions of other mint marked coins. Lets face it, if you throw a million S mints in with a billion other mints, you're looking at one in 1000. They've just been "swallowed" by the massive numbers of other mints.

I did get a 1972-S cent in change the other day.

David

RYK

People keep shaving them off Morgans. I don't know why.

Bear

The S stands for SHY. Thats why you cant find them.

Actually, these coins were minted at the San Francisco Mint.

Thus they would tend to be more available West of the

Mississippi River.

cladking

<< <i>

Actually, these coins were minted at the San Francisco Mint.

Thus they would tend to be more available West of the

Mississippi River. >>



This is certainly true of the cents which barely circulate at all. It's much
less true for the nickels which at the time of their release had a high velocity.
Even today these circulate fast enough to get pretty thoroughly mixed with
the other coins.

Bear

Cladking, look me in my bared teeth and say that.

Bear

Let us review some of the Mints that have produced various coins

in the long history of the Nation.

D- Denver

O- New Orleans

D- Delongha (Georgia) only gold coins minted here

CC- Carsen City

S- San Francisco

P - Phillidelphia(often no mint mark is present for this mint)

I think I missed one Mint and I dont think I spelled the name of the Georgia Mint

correctly.

DominusDeus

C -- Charlotte, NC (gold only)
CC -- Carson City, NV
D -- Dahlongea, GA (gold only)
D -- Denver, CO
O -- New Orleans, LA
P -- Philadelphia, PA
S -- San Francisco, CA
W -- West Point, NY



This was the last San Francisco mint coin I ran across, and this was quite some time ago:

nwcs

Another thing is that those of us near the right coast generally always saw more Philly coins that Denver or San Fran.

DominusDeus

Indeed. I don't think I've seen any Denver mint coins on any coin made in last two years. I may run across a 2002 denver mint coin every now and then.

AJ2525

Gentlemen,

I beg to differ. It's because nuts like me pull just about every S mint cent and nickel from circulation. I've gotten 60 of the 1970-S nickels with significantly fewer ofthe other dates.

jonesy

I hoard s mints. If I find them.

clackamas

I get them in change, nearly everyday, on the west coast.

morgannut2

Welcome to the boards. You won't find any CC mints either (CARSON CITY, NEVADA)

Conder101

<< <i>San Fanscisco hasnt made coins for circulation since 1974. >>


1980. You forgot the 79 and 80-S SBA's

richbeat

San Francisco also struck cents for circulation from 1978-1983. They carry no mint mark and are indistinguishable from Philadelphia cents.

cladking

San Francisco also made cents and quarters for circulation in '65 - '67 without mint marks.

For that matter West Point made quarters in the '70's and '80's without a mint mark.