The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
MINT MARK COLLECTING.
COINS WHOSE VALUE DEPENDS
on A LITTLE LETTER.

Many Variations In the Size. Shape and
Position OF the Mint Mark This Branch
Of Coin Collecting q New Fsd-Prfces
OF Certain Coins Going Up Steadily.
The mint mark collectors are growing
in number among the coin collectors IN this
country. The genuine coin collectors, those
who collect the coins OF all periods and OF
all countries, who value a coin rather for
It's historical significance thar its scarcity,
are inclined to look with indifference upon
chem. Neverth eless as a result Of their
activity the mint mar collectors have
given new value to certain coins OF recent
issues.
The desire Of the collector Of mint marks
10 to possess a specimen Of every coin Of a
certain denomination that has been struck
at all the different mints, although the coins
are exactly alike with the exception OF the
little mint mark.
OF branch mints there have been five
Charlotte, N. c.; Dahlonega, Ca; New Or
leans, Carson City, New; San Francisco, in
addition 10 the parent mint at Philadelphia
The FIRST used the letter &C. the second
% the third 90 the fourth &C c. the
fifth So The coins OF the Philadelphia
F&e& -
the fact that they bear no letter.
The first Of the branch mints was the one
at Charlotte, near which place gold was first
discovered in the United States in 1899.
The last branch mint to be put In operation
n that of Denver. which % uses the mint
letter ID The Dahlonega mint, which
formerly used this letter, was abandoned
many years ago.
1t has only been Of recent years that in
terest has been taken in the collection OF
mint marks. Now at a coin auction it is
not a rare thing to see the most spirited
bidding Unexpectedly develop when the
auctioneer offers a coin of very modern
date, and of apparently small value. But
investigation will show that the coveted
coin bears a mark which represents a lin
tied coinage and which means much to the
collector trying to complete his series
There are plenty Of varieties among the
mint marks. They vary in size, In shape
and In position. These variations prove
that the coins came from different dies.
For instance, the dimes Of 1891 Of the
New Orleans Mint show the mint letter
90 In three different positions, one having
the letter In the centre Of the reverse side,
another showing the letter to the left, and
still another with the letter 10 the right.
The half dollars Of the same mint show
the mint letter on those coins dated 1854 in
seven different positions, proof Of the ex-
istenoe Of as many distinct dies. On other
varieties Of the New Orleans coins the
is small, on others large, and IN some cases
il 10 oval in shape.
The quarter dollars OF the San Francisco
Mint Of 1877 show seven varieties. The
letter g" Is OF different sizes and IL differ
entity located, The half dollars Of the
Carson City Mint Of 1879 show the &C c.
mark in six shapes and positions, while the
quarter dollars Of the same year show four
varieties.
/, The half dollars Of the San Francisco
Mint dated 1870 and 1877 embrace more
varieties than any other denomination or
mint. One collector boasts Of having
twenty varieties OF these t wo years.
The half dollar Of the New Orleans Mint,
struck in 1888, Is one Of the great ~rarities.
This coin. which is valued at about 500,
is Just like any other half dollar Of the year,
With the exception Of the letter 20
without this mark the coin Is worth just
face value. UnIy Tour specimens were
70 nave Deen struck, and this fact
accOunts for its excessive rarity.
A half dollar Of the San Francisco Mint
dated 1900 without the motto on the re-
verse and showing the letter ~" il worth
over $50 when In u~ncirculated condition.
without the letter the coin Ia worth 50
cents,
The dime OF the same mint, dated 1894,
bearing the letter IS" Is valued az $50, and
yet the dimes OF the same date Of other
mints are worth just face value. Only
twenty-four OF these coins wers struck.
Tho gold dollars bearing certain mint
letters are among the rarest OF the coins
sought by the mint mark collectors. Dab
lonega mint dollars dated 1859 and 1880
arc very rare, while one Of tho Same mint
dated 1855 sold not long g for 90. That