I hope this question is not too dumb. I noticed 1942p and 1943p mercury dimes for sale on e-bay. However, I cannot find the 1942p or the 1943p dimes listed in my Red Book. What am I missing? Thank you.
Hmmm....not sure. I know those are real coins with high mintages so here's possible suggestions/answers to your question: Not meaning to offend, but just in case, 1942P is the same thing as a 1942, as listed in the Red Book. Are you missing a page from the Redbook? Depending on the edition, may be on a separate page than most of the other Mercury coins. Sorry this is of little help. Rest assured thought that 42P and 43P are actual coins minted. Double check the Red Book and get back with us.:smile
Sorry, I just don't get it. If a 1942 (or 1943) dime is the same as a 1942p (or 1943p dime), why do the e-bay sellers differentiate by utilizing the "p" designation in some of their dime sales? Thank you.
Coins minted in Philadelphia traditionally had no mintmark. It was the first mint, and since it was the only mint at the time, no mintmark was needed -- all the coins came from there! Later, when branch mints opened, they typically (but not always) put mintmarks on coins to show where they were minted, but Philadelphia just stayed with no mintmark. On very recent issues, the Philadelphia mint started using the "P" mintmark on some coins to help differentiate the coins. So, saying 1942 dime or 1942-P dime is the same thing.
If you want a little history on the Philadelphia Mint, here's a page with some basic information: http://www.us-coin-values-advisor.com/us-philadelphia-mint.html
BORGOVAN -- Thank you very much for your explanation and reference. It was very helpful. I really appreciate it.
