Expert: PAPAJACK - 11/26/2007

Question
Hi Papajack.  I have a "strictly for fun" collection (not worth much, but I love it).  I'm pretty new and still learning, and wondered if you could help with a question.

I was recently reading up mint marks, and my understanding is that all coins from the 20th and 21st century should have them, except for 3 years in the 1960s.  BUT, I have circulation quarters from 1969, 1974 and 1977 that do not have mint marks, and a commemorative from 1976 that also doesn't have one.

Is this weird?  Does this mean my coins are fakes?  Am I nuts?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Karen

Answer
Hello Karen,                                           

Good Question! Your coins are not fakes the quarter did not use the P mint mark until 1980.
They stopped the Mint Marking of coins in the 1965 to 1967 years to curb the collecting community from what they thought was hoarding coins.

Your statement is true for all Branch-Mints since 1838 only. You have 8 mints in the history of the United States that made coins.

Charlotte from 1838 to 1861 made gold coins only and used a C mint mark,
Carson City from 1870 to 1893 used a CC mint mark,
Dahlonega from 1838 to 1861 for gold coins only had a D mint mark,
Denver from 1906 to date uses the D mark,
New Orleans from 1838 to 1909 used an O mark,  
San Francisco From 1854 to present uses the S mint mark,
And the West Point since 1984 uses a W mark.

The Philadelphia Mint is the mother mint and did not mint mark a coin until the 1942 Silver War Nickel and this stopped in 1945. And then the 1980 issues with denominations larger than one cent have had the P mint mark.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack