Expert: Ronald Fern - 2/17/2010

Question
I have a 1984 Jefferson nickel that has a mint mark that is smaller than those on other nickels. I don't have any more nickels from that year to compare it to. I was wondering if this was normal and what the approximate value would be if it wasn't.

Answer
Hi Anna:

Thanks for giving me the opportunity on answering your question.

The 1984 Nickel with the smaller mint mark could be considered to be a minor variety by people who collect coins with minute differences. Up until 1996, all the dies from which coins were struck were made at the Philadelphia Mint, now some are made at the Denver facility. The dies to be sent to other branch mints to make coins would have the Mint Mark hand punched into them. It seems that whatever style of font was available at the time was used to punch the Mint Mark into the dies, so we find fat ones, and thin ones, tall, short and even micro Mint Marks. We find coins where the Mint Mark was punched into the dies with a heavy hand and those that were lightly punched.

There are even US coins where one Mint Mark was struck into the die and then they did it again as in the 1865 “S” over “S” Seated Liberty Quarter, or where one Mint Mark was struck into the die over top of another Mint Mark as in the 1900 “O” over “CC” Morgan Dollar. There was even a case, in recent years, where proof dimes were struck at the West Point Mint and the “W” Mint Mark was never put on the die.

You don't mention the condition of your coin, but in circulated condition, it could be worth a dollar or two to an interested collector.

Technology has advanced the placement and style of the Mint Mark. Around 1990, the US Mint standardized the font and size of the Mint Mark. No longer are Mint Marks being hand struck into the coin dies. What the Mint is doing is making the Mint Mark a part of the template or hub from which the dies are made. It is now all one process.

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Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.