A world made of metal


On Mints and Mint Marks By Eric Weisbrot

Mint Marks are tiny letters referring to thecutting round blanks, approximately the
locality where the minting of coins tookdimension  of  the  done  coin.
place. The position of mint mark can be found
typically on the back side of coins that were3. The blanks then are softened by running
minted before the year 1965 and on the frontthem through an annealing furnace, through
after  the  year  1967.tumbling barrels, and then through revolving
cylinders containing chemical mixtures to
Coins of every US mint branch are recognizedburnish  and  clean  the  metal.
by mint marks. These coin marks date back to
ancient  times  in  Rome  and  Greece.4. The blanks then are washed and placed
into a drying device, then into the upsetting
The Director of the Mint, through the Act ofmachines,  that  produce  the  raised  rim.
March 3, 1835, set rules to classify and
distinguish the coins released from every US5. The Final stage: coining press. Each
Mint branch. This core management setblank is clasp into position by a collar or
accurate standards and pattern of productionring as it is being struck or hit under great
as  well  as  responsible  coinage.pressure. Pennies need approximately 40 tons
of pressure and the larger coins need more.
Coins that minted at the Philadelphia mintThe upper and lower dies are stamped
earlier than the year 1979 have no mintsimultaneously on the two sides of each coin.
marks. So it was in that year that the dollar
was marked with the letter P and otherThe  design:
denominations  had that same mark thereafter.
The Director of the Mint chooses the design
All dies for US coins are produced at theand pattern for United States coins, then
Philadelphia Mint and prior to shipping thethat is approved by the Secretary of the
coins to their mint branch, coins are markedTreasury; congress can recommend and suggest
first with the correct and designated minta design. The design then can not be changed
markings. The precise size and positioning offor twenty five years unless directed by the
the coins mint mark can slightly vary; thiscongress.
is influenced by how deep the punch was
impressed  and  where.All emblems of United States coins minted
currently represent previous presidents of
The  importance  of  mint  marks:the United States. President Lincoln is on
the one-cent coin, adopted in the year 1909;
Collectors can determine the value of a coinWashington on the 25 cent coin that was
though mint mark, date and conditionminted first in 1932; Jefferson on the five
examination, making the coins condition thecent coin in 1938; Franklin Roosevelt on the
most significant factor and standard whendime, introduced in the year 1946; Kennedy on
determining  its  value.the half dollar that was first minted in
1964.
Defining the Mint which hit the coin is
tremendously important in determining theThe Act of 1997 known as the 50 States
value of the coin; the coin can be hit inQuarters Program supports and allows the
huge quantities at a single Mint or inredesigning of the quarters - the reverse
smaller  quantities  in  another  hit.side is to show each of the fifty states
emblems. Every year starting in 1999 and
The  process  of  minting:until 2008, coins honoring five states,
having designs that are created by each
1. The making of metal strips in the correctstate, will be issued in the sequence or
thickness: Zinc strips are used for pennies,manner in which each state signed the
alloy strips composed of nickel (25%) andConstitution.
nickel (75%) for nickel and dollars,
half-dollars, dimes, half-dimes areThe phrase In God We Trust was used first in
fabricated from a fusion of three coatings of1864, on a United States two-cent coin. It
metals; the external layer are alloys and thethen was seen on the quarter, nickel,
center  is  copper.half-dollar, silver dollar and on the $10, $5
and $20 in 1866; in 1909 on the penny, in
2. These strips of metals are then put into1916 on the dime. Today, all United States
blanking presses that are responsible forcoins carry the motto.



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