I have 2 old 10 Centesimis from Italy. one is from 1863 and the other is from 1866. I was just looking at them out of bordem, and then I noticed something. On the back of the 1866, I noticed the letters OM. I dont know what it is, so I looked on the 1863, and there is nothing in that spot. So I think its a mint mark or something. Can somebody help me?
I found this pic, its not my coin, but its just as a reference http://www.lemonete.com/index/catalogo/VittorioEmanueleII(Re%20d'Italia)/10_centesimi.htm
"OM" is the mintmark for the Strassbourg Mint. According to the Standard Catalog of World Coins the copper 10 centesimi (KM#11.5) was minted there in 1966-1867, and is valued at $1.50 F to $55 Unc. for both years in the 2002 3rd Ed. It was produced in Paris without a mint mark (KM#111.2) in 1862-63 and 1866. The early ones are listed at the same values as the Strassbourg coins. Between 1862 and 1867 the coin was produced at Heaton in England, as well as at Italian mints in Milan, Naples and Turin. With all that activity, there was a total mintage of only about 350,000 pieces.
Correction: The 1863 10 centesimi from the Paris mint (without mintmark) had a mintage of 80 million and is KM-11.2. The 1866 Strasbourg mint (OM) issue had a mintage of 20 million and is KM-11.5.
