Expert: PAPAJACK - 6/20/2007

Question
I don't know the first thing about coin collecting but a friend of mine found one of my pennys that has no mint mark as far as we can see. It is a 1966 and is fairly worn but it doesn't appear that the mint mark simply rubbed off. Everything else on the penny seems there and normal. Should I bother to hang on to it for any reason?

Answer
Hello Jennah,               

There is nothing special about this cent.
Lincoln cents were minted from 1909 to present at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. If you see a "D" below the date, the coin was minted in Denver. If you see an "S" below the date, the coin was minted in San Francisco. If there is no letter below the date the coin was minted in Philadelphia.
However there is this exception, due to a coin shortage in circulation none of the U.S.A. coins made in 1965, 1966 or 1967 have any mint marks on them.

They did this so the coins would not be collected; they thought collectors were stopping the coins from getting into circulation. You may have a cent made at any of the US Mints that year.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack