Anatomy

Why is coin anatomy important?

Understanding the markings on a coin can help you decipher one coin from another and also help you understand the significance of coins. Information like where coins are minted, mintage year, and differing relief artwork can alter the value of a coin. An example would be the mintmark on American coins. Many of the coins will have a small letter denoting which mint struck a particular coin which can dramatically alter value.

A 1901 Morgan Silver Dollar minted in New Orleans would be marked with an “O” and would have a different value than one struck at another mint due to the quantities differing at each mint.