Stamps of mints. How to identify a mint on a coin

The first thing a beginner numismatist should learn is to determine the mint on which the coin was made. This skill is useful more than once, because in many ways, the value of a coin is determined precisely by where it was minted and in what quantity.

You will need

Instruction manual

Determine the year of issue of the coin

First, determine in which year the coin was issued. Mints appeared in Russia in the 11th century, but they did not immediately begin to indicate their emblems on coins. Quite often, just the initials of the master who made the coin were indicated. So, look for the coinage date on your coin. If you could not find it, but assume that the coin was issued during the time of Tsarist Rus, then in most cases only an experienced specialist will be able to determine the mint. The fact is that until the beginning of the 20th century, about three dozen mints functioned in Russia, and often their letter designations coincided. There will also be difficulties if the coin was issued in Soviet times, as Until 1990, the emblem of the mint was simply not indicated.

Where to look for the mint logo?

So, you are convinced that the coin was issued in the interval from 1990 to the present, the next step is to find where the emblem of the mint is indicated, or the abbreviation of its name. On the coins of the early 1990s, as well as on modern commemorative coins with a face value of 10 rubles, the sign of the mint should be searched directly below the face value. On coins from 1 to 50 kopecks, the mint's emblem is indicated under the horse's left front hoof, and coins from 1 to 10 rubles have a mark under the paw of a two-headed eagle on the right side. Thus, the mint can be indicated on the coin in three places, and inspect them.

Magnifier helps to consider the sign of the mint

What are the emblems?

Today in Russia there are two mints - St. Petersburg and Moscow, and it is customary to designate them with abbreviations. The Moscow Mint has the following abbreviations: M (coins with a face value of 1-50 kopecks), MMD (coins with a face value of 1 ruble). The St. Petersburg Mint is indicated as S-P (1-50 kopecks), SPMD (on coins from 1 ruble), L or LMD (on Soviet-style coins). It is possible to consider abbreviations well only with the help of a magnifying glass, but most often it is enough just to understand the first letter.

And if there is no logo?

If you carefully examined the coin from all sides and have not found the coveted emblem anywhere, this is also a good sign. If there are really no abbreviations, this means marriage. Yes, this happens at the mint. But in no case do not be discouraged, because due to its rarity, such coins are valued higher than usual.

Many beginners in numismatics are somewhat skeptical mint definitionwho issued this coin. And let's say it is wrong for the future collector of rare coins. Indeed, knowledge of the mint sometimes helps determine the market value of a rarity that has fallen into your hands. The same denomination, issued by different mints, can vary in price several times.

So how do you define a mint on Russian coins. First you need to know that in modern Russia there are two mints: Moscow and St. Petersburg. And on modern coins their names are minted in the form of monograms: MMD and SPMD. On cheap coins, the sign is on the reverse in the form of the letters M and C-P. Sometimes, on some coins, the courtyard designation is missing. And as a result of such a marriage, the value of a coin grows significantly. Also, a novice collector should not be alarmed by the fact that the stamp of the Moscow Mint on coins looks somewhat more than St. Petersburg. This is the case.

To determine the mint for numismatists, you may need a magnifying glass. But if circumstances permit, you can use a camera or scanner. But the last two ways are more suitable for old or shabby coins. So a magnifying glass is the main tool of numismatist.

But even with a magnifying glass, it is not always easy to find mint emblems on a coin. Therefore, we immediately suggest that on 10 ruble coins mint mark  can be found on the obverse of a coin under its denomination. In the photo below, this is clearly illustrated.

A penny coin will please the collector with the letters M or C-P under the horse's front hooves.

On the coins of the early nineties, mints are indicated on the front side of the coin in the form of the letters M (Moscow) or L (Leningrad).

Also, the mint can be identified by the edge (edge) of the coin - on MMD coins, the inscriptions have a more rounded shape than on SPMD coins.

Determine the mint on the edge

In the Russian Federation, there are two mints: Moscow and St. Petersburg. They are engaged not only in the production of coins, but also in the production of orders, medals. In total, there are several dozen mints in the world and each coin has an indication of which one it was made on. That's just on each coin the mint is defined differently.
  Ask why it is generally required to determine the mint of a coin? This is one of the factors directly affecting the value of a coin in the numismatic market. Also, the price is affected by the year of manufacture, product material, edge, condition and some other things.
  Why does the value of a coin depend on the mint? In many ways, this value is determined by the circulation of a coin published in a particular year at a particular mint. Relatively speaking, if in 2012 the Moscow Mint issued 4 million coins with a face value of 5 rubles, and St. Petersburg only 500 thousand, then the cost of the latter over time will be higher.

Mint mark on modern Russian coins

On modern Russian coins, the St. Petersburg Mint is denoted by the acronym SPMD on ruble coins and C-P on a penny. The Moscow Mint is indicated by the abbreviation MMD on ruble coins and M on a penny. It is curious that on the 1992 coins the coins of the St. Petersburg Mint were marked with the seal L. There are also known cases of marriage in which individual coins were issued without a mint designation. As a rule, such coins are 10 times more expensive than the face value.
  Since the standard of production has long been established in mints, the place for indicating the mint is definitely definitely already made. On kopecks (coins with a face value of 1 kopeck, 5 kopecks, 10 kopecks, 50 kopecks), the mint mark is stamped on the obverse of the coin, under the horse's left hoof, as shown below.

  For ruble coins (with a face value of 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles, 10 rubles), the indication of the mint is knocked out under the left paw of the two-headed eagle in which the power is located. On commemorative coins, where there is no image of an eagle on the obverse, the mint stamp is on the side with the face value of the coin.
  In order to detect the sign of the mint in most cases, it is enough to have sharp eyesight. However, if the badge was not found this way, do not rush to rejoice that the coin is rare. You should carefully examine the coin with a magnifier or microscope.

As for Soviet coins, the mint mark began to be applied to them only in 1975. The first Soviet coins on which the mint mark appeared were: 1 ruble, dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, and the chervonets of 1977. But on bargaining coins, the mint mark began to be indicated only in 1990.

Mintmark on coins of the Russian Empire

As for the older coins of the times of the Russian Empire, there were several dozen yards on which coins were printed. It is quite difficult to find the designations, since only on good quality coins did the mint mark survive quite clearly. Nevertheless, we will consider abbreviations designating these or those mints.
  AM It is found on coins of 1789-1796. The so-called Anninsky coin was printed in s. Anninsky of the Perm province. Mostly these were coins in denominations of 2 and 5 kopecks made of copper.
  BC. Red and Embankment mints of Moscow. Reduction in BC comes from the Big Treasury. It is found on coins of the period 1704-1718.
  VM (also M.W. and W.M.). Abbreviation for Warsaw coin. It is found on coins of the period 1815-1915 (the period when the Polish kingdom entered the Russian Empire).
  THEM. Abbreviation for Izhora coin. Coins were printed between 1810-1821, mainly in denominations of 1 and 2 kopecks. Printed in the village of Izhory near St. Petersburg.
  KM. Abbreviation for Kolyvan coin. Coins were printed between 1767-1839. At first, only the so-called Siberian coin, then, since 1801, nationwide. The name comes from the Kolyvano-Voskresensk smelters of the Altai Territory, on which coins were issued.
  MM Abbreviation for Moscow coin. Coins were printed between 1758-1795. It is found on coins in denominations of 1 and 2 kopeks.
  CM. Abbreviation for Suzun coin. Coins were printed between 1831-1847 at the Nizhne-Suzunsky smelter (now located in the Novosibirsk region).
  Also, the abbreviation SM was found on coins printed in Sestroretsk near St. Petersburg (1763-1767) and on St. Petersburg coins (St. Petersburg court in 1797-1799 and the Banking mint in 1799-1801).
TM Abbreviation for Tauride coin. Printed in the city of Feodosia in the period 1787-1788. This “mint” is notable for the different denomination of issued coins, which was not characteristic of other regional “mints”. So among copper coins were issued in denominations from half to 5 kopecks, and among silver from 2 to 20 kopecks.

Carefully looking at the notation on the coins, you can see the abbreviations SPMD and MMD. But what do these symbols mean and what are their differences? Let us examine this question in more detail.

Definition

Coins SPMD  - coins produced by the St. Petersburg Mint.

Coins MMD  - coins minted by the Moscow Mint.

Comparison

The St. Petersburg Mint is considered one of the largest mints in the world engaged in minting of both ordinary and commemorative and jubilee precious metal products. It also serves as a place for the manufacture of insignia, medals, orders and other products from non-ferrous metal alloys by state order. It was founded on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1724. It is one of the most famous and oldest St. Petersburg enterprises. The main difference between the coins of the St. Petersburg Mint is the abbreviation SPMD, located on modern Russian coins under the right paw of the bird. At different times, they had other letters: SP, SPM, SPB, SM, LMD, L.

Left - MMD; right - SPMD

The Moscow Mint is also one of the leading manufacturers of coins, various insignia and medals. It produces coins by order of foreign countries, works with private customers. Issues investment, commemorative and precious coins that become collectibles for numismatists. The founding time of the Moscow Mint is officially considered 1942. Together with the St. Petersburg Mint, he serves as a member of an association called the State Sign. On the coins of the Moscow Mint, under the right paw of the eagle, stands the abbreviation MMD or simply the letter M. On cheap coins, the abbreviations of one or another mint are placed under the hoof of a horse.

Sometimes there are coins that do not have any letter designation. They are considered defective and are valued several times more than their nominal value. These coins include, for example, five-copecks coins of 2002 and 2003 of release.

Website conclusions

1. Coins SPMD - coins produced by the St. Petersburg Mint.
2. Coins MMD - coins minted by the Moscow Mint.
3. Old coins of the St. Petersburg Mint can also be denoted by the symbols SP, SPM, SPB, SM, LMD, L. Products of the Moscow Mint have only two designations: M or MMD.
4. Coins of the Moscow Mint can be issued on an individual order, while products of the St. Petersburg Mint are produced exclusively by state order.

Special mint designation  represents a certain logo of the enterprise. In each country, it can be different; there are no uniform standards. As a rule, these are abbreviations of the name of the city where the mint is located. But it can also be various graphic elements that distinguish a city or country. A coin of one design can have different designations of mints, depending on the place of minting and the year of issue. Sometimes there are coins without a designation, but these are error coins, and it immediately becomes rarities.

The hallmark of the Russian Mint

FSUE Goznak is an enterprise entrusted with the research, development and production of state signs, mainly coins and banknotes. At the moment, Russian coins are minted in the Moscow and St. Petersburg mints.

How to determine the mint on Russian coins?

One of the first questions of a beginner numismatist. In fact, there is nothing complicated here. Mintmark  can be in the form of individual letters or their combinations. They are usually very small, and magnifying devices may be needed. To make it easier to distinguish mint of Russia, I will tell you more about them.

If you look at the obverse of the coin in denominations of 10, 5, 2, and 1 ruble, then under the left paw of the eagle will be the sign SPMD or MMD.

If you look at the obverse of the coin in denominations of 50, 10, 5 and 1 kopeck, then under the front left hoof of the horse will be the letter M or C-P.

The coins of previous periods also had the designations L and M.

Mint mark on some coins of Russia

More information about the location and designation of the mint on coins: