Each is listed separately on value charts. Generally, a mint marked half is the scarce coin of the year.Ĭollecting by year and mintmark combination is an important part in building a set of half dollars. Each mint striking different quantities and having different levels of scarcity. Often two to three different mints struck half dollars per year. 'CC' Carson City and 'D' is the mintmark identifying Denver. As part of the design on the reverse an 'S' is the San Francisco mintmark. By the mid 1850's the San Francisco added coinage, followed by Carson City in 1870, and Denver in 1906.Įach branch mint used a mintmark on its coinage to indicate production from that mint. This added production and increased numbers per year and also created a separate collectible variety.
New Orleans mint began striking halves for circulation in 1839.
