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San Francisco: the S mint mark
S is San Francisco. A real branch mint from 1854. Proofs, common S Morgans, and a few dates that actually matter. The letter is not a prize by itself.
S is San Francisco. The mint opened in 1854 for Gold Rush metal. It is still a mint. It makes a lot of the proof coins people buy in boxes, and it made mountains of circulation coinage for more than a century.
On a Morgan the S sits under the wreath. Where is the mint mark?. Carson City and New Orleans sit in the same neighborhood.
Common versus collected
Many S-mints are common. 1879-S, 1880-S, 1881-S, 1882-S Morgans are type dollars. Some S dates are not: 1893-S is the key Morgan. 1909-S VDB is a Lincoln story, not an S story in general. Morgan keys.
Modern S proofs are products. The box and the finish matter more than the letter. Proof vs uncirculated.
What it is not
S is not automatically scarce. A worn S dime from the 1940s is 90% silver. The S did not save it.
Bring the coin. We read the date first.
Continue in the coin and money library. Related visitor guides: for shop visitors.