S mint mark

How to read it

San Francisco’s mint opened in 1854 to turn California gold into coins, and the Mint calls its S “the oldest mint mark still in use by the U.S. Mint”. San Francisco struck circulating coins with the S from 1854 to 1955, then S nickels from 1968 to 1970, cents from 1968 to 1974 and dollars from 1979 to 1981. It does not strike circulating coins today. In 1968 proof coin production moved there from Philadelphia, and for the first time proof coins carried a mint mark: the S. The Mint says San Francisco and West Point mainly strike proof, commemorative and bullion coins.

Also searched as: San Francisco mint mark, S on a coin.

San Francisco coins without an S

The Mint says San Francisco struck circulating cents in the 1970s and 1980s with no mint mark, so that they could not be told from Philadelphia’s. A few proof coins also lack the S they should have; the No mint mark page lists them.

The S on 1909 cents

In January and February 1909 San Francisco struck 309,000 Indian Head cents; later that year it struck 484,000 Lincoln cents with the designer’s initials VDB, the lowest mintage of any circulation Lincoln cent (CoinWeek). That is the 1909-S VDB penny. CoinWeek says the two 1909-S Lincoln cents are largely responsible for collectors’ habit of collecting by mint mark. NGC notes that a single S punch was used on every San Francisco Lincoln cent from 1909 to 1916.

Where the S is

On wheat cents the S is below the date. On silver Roosevelt dimes, which San Francisco struck until 1955, it is at the left of the base of the torch; on silver Washington quarters below the olive branches; on Morgan dollars (1878 to 1904, and 1921) above the DO of DOLLAR (CoinWeek). Since 1968 it has been on the obverse with the other marks. CoinWeek says San Francisco has struck only proof nickels since 1971, clad proof dimes since 1968, and silver proof dimes as well since 1992.