Those 1928-S Coins Bearing Small and Large Mintmarks In 1928, four of the coin denominations (Cents, Dimes, Quarters and Half Dollars) minted at the San Francisco Mint, bear either a Large Sor small s mintmark. Some numismatic scholars refer to them as <i>normal and large mintmarks. No 1928-S Buffalo Nickels nor Peace Dollars bear both size mintmarks. To show you the relative difference between the two sizes, here's a photo of the reverse of a 1928-S Peace Dollar which only carries the small or normal mintmark part way between the O in ONE and the Eagle's wingtips (www.coinpage.com photo): 1928-S PEACE DOLLAR W/NORMAL MINTMARK So too does the 1928-S Buffalo Nickel (www.coinpage.com photo): 1928-S BUFFALO NICKEL W/NORMAL MINTMARK Here's an enlarged closeup of the small S mint mark used by the US Mint at San Francisco (courtesy of The Lincoln Cent Resource Community): ENLARGED CLOSEUP OF SMALL S MINTMARK USED BY SAN FRANCISCO IN 1928 Here's a photo of an enlarged closeup of a large S mint mark used by the US Mint at San Francisco (courtesy of The Lincoln Cent Resource Community): ENLARGED CLOSEUP OF LARGE S MINTMARK USED BY SAN FRANCISCO IN 1928 Let's see a Dime that bears a large S mint mark on it (www.coastcoin.com photo - click for enlargement): 1943 DIME WITH LARGE S MINT MARK The Red Book uses a foot note to denote that large and small mint marks exist on those four denominations. The foot note also directs you to page 20 where it statesA more or less standard-sized , small mintmark was used on minor coins starting in 1909, and on all dimes, quarters, and halves after the Barber series was replaced in 1916. Slight variations in mintmark size occur through 1945, with notable differences in 1928 when small and large mintmarks were used. What the Redbook doesn't tell you is, that neither of the San Francisco mintmarks struck on Cents, Quarters and Half Dollars command a premium over each other because near-even amounts of each size were struck. What the Red Book doesn't tell you is that there is a difference in the dime population. It is believed, by those who research such things, that only one in 40 1928-S Dimes would be a large S. Thus only 2 1/2 per cent of the 7,400,000 Dimes struck in 1928 at San Francisco bear a large S mint mark (1,850,000). Thought you may like to know... Clinker
Some 1828-S Quarters do have the error "inverted S," but errors wasn't part of the theme of this "TRIVIA." Clinker
I have a pair of 1928 S Mercury dimes with what I believe to be different sized mint marks. Although the condition is G-VG the marks really appear to be different sizes.
On a thread earlier this year, a gentleman acquired a 1928 S SLQ from a relative who had picked it up in Mexico. It was a reversed S. Authenticity questionable to me.
I understand that there must be a difference between a "variety" and an "error", but it seems to me that an "error" should be something that happens to a single coin. When a bunch are minted all the same way, shouldn't that be a "variety" ? Just asking
