hello, I have a question that I hope you can help me with. I have a penny collection with a few books started, i thought I had them full until i got a different kind of book. In the new one there are spots for (S) mint marks from 1975 till present!!! In the old book there are no spots for these coins. In fact I have never found one for these dates , if i did I would be wondering why there was no spot for them. Is the new book wrong? whats going on here? has anyone ever found a (S) mint mark from these dates? thanks for your help--BILL
Those S mint marks are the proof Lincolns. I'm guessing that album includes business strike and proof coins, and your other albums don't include proofs.
Just as an example, the Lincoln dansco album with proof only issues, includes Lincoln proofs from 1968 to present. 1968 was the first year the S mint mark was used on the proof cents.
do you happen to have just layin around that is collecting dust, that you want to get rid of!!!!!!!!! maybe takin up to much space!!!! just a thought--- thanks--BILL
It sounds like you previously used a Folder, not an Album. Most Albums contain numerous additional slots for all sorts of coins. For example in the Whitman Folders there used to be no place for the 42/41 nor the 42D/41 nor the 45 Micro S. Then the simpler Albums had one place for th 42/41. Then finally the Whitman Classic added all those other ones. Same with Lincoln Cents. Folders usually do not contain all the places for such things as Proofs. Then too my Whitman Classic Albums now contain slots for the 22 plain, 55 Double Die, 72 Double Die and lots of other ones I wish weren't there. The Proof ones are really stupid to make someone add to an Album since they all have to be purchased but almost all the others could be found in change. Most of the rare ones can't be found so easily but it does happen but with a Proof, they usually don't get circulated except for the ones from a robbery. There are things you could do if you don't want to run out and purchase Proofs. Take one denomination and put it in the Proof slot backwards. Puch out a piece of paper and put that in those places. I know one person that put Copper Washers in those places same as with the 22 plain and the Double Dies. Another solution is to use Whitman Albums and make your own Albums. Use the blank pages and order the Gold letters/numbers and press on what you want, where you want.
Is your album by chance called "The Coin Collector?" I recently purchased one by that name. It has holes spaces for "S" mint cents for 1974 and earlier, when San Fran made them for circulation; but only one for each year. So it was obviously made by some company that either didn't understand coin collecting, or was clueless on what exactly a "proof" coin was.
......the problem with an album with proof spots is you have to break open proof sets to get the coin. ( visualize hand slapping head here ).