1886 Silver Buck Mint Markings, And What All these Marks Suggest

By Brandon McGary


What mint marks can be found on an 1886 silver buck, and precisely what do these marks mean? The presence of a mint mark, or the deficiency of almost any mark assigning the mint where the coin was made, can tell a lot regarding a particular coin. In 1886 there were three mints that produced silver dollars for at least a part of the year. These were the Philadelphia mint, the New Orleans mint, as well as the San Francisco mint.

If a coin doesn't have any mint mark then this can mean 1 of 2 things. Whether the mint which produced the coin did not make a mark on the coins that were developed or the coin has been so worn that the mint mark is no longer seen to the naked eye. A competent coin professional can usually figure out which situation is present. If the coin has numerous details remaining but there's simply no mint mark then the coin was made in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia mint generated 1886 silver dollar coins that do not possess any mark. These coins are generally obtained in poor situation so the lack of a mint marking may not be obvious mainly because a lot of the details of the coin are missing or blurred. The caliber of the minting also plays a role in the coin cost. Coins that have crisp and obvious details are worth much more than coins that were poorly minted.

The San Francisco mint produced coins which have a little letter s as the mint mark. This is found on the rear of the coin and can affect the value of the silver buck. Coins that are in great condition or that are outstanding caliber from the San Francisco mint may be worth more than a lot of these silver dollars.

An 1886 silver buck which has a small o as the mint mark was manufactured in New Orleans. Several of the coins that this mint produced are incredibly valuable if they are in perfect condition and have never been circulated.




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