Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia

Mintmark Sizes

In the course of preparing many dies for use at the Carson City and San Francisco branch mints, the Engraving Department of the Philadelphia Mint created variations in mintmark size and, on the CC issues, the width between the C's. Representative varieties are listed below, with measurements. A few additional varieties are listed in Breen's Complete Encyclopedia, but measurements are not given. At present, there is relatively little interest in collecting trade dollars by mintmark sizes, but they are nevertheless interesting to study. (Most of the following information has been provided by W.E. Seton.)

1873-CC: Mintmark.9 mm high; spacing between C's varies from .6 mm to .75 mm. "Minute CC" compared to certain mintmarks used in later years.
1873-S: Mintmark .9 mm high. "Minute S" as compared to certain mintmarks used in later years.
1874-CC: Mintmark .74 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's. "Micro CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark .84 mm high; .4 mm spacing between C's. "Minute CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark.9 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's. "Minute CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .55 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC." Dot on 8 of date on obverse.
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC." Slight doubled die on reverse.
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC."
1873-CC: Mintmark.9 mm high; spacing between C's varies from .6 mm to .75 mm. "Minute CC" compared to certain mintmarks used in later years.
1873-S: Mintmark .9 mm high. "Minute S" as compared to certain mintmarks used in later years.
1874-CC: Mintmark .74 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's. "Micro CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark .84 mm high; .4 mm spacing between C's. "Minute CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark.9 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's. "Minute CC."
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .55 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC." Dot on 8 of date on obverse.
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC." Slight doubled die on reverse.
1874-CC: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC."
1874-S: Mintmark .9 mm high. "Minute S." 1874-S: Mintmark 1.1 mm high. "Medium S."
1874-S: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S."
1875-CC I/I: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .95 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC."
1875-CC III: Mintmark 1.2 mm high; .95 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC."
1875-S I/I: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S." Dies include one with large "glob" on first L of DOLLAR and the other with a dot between IN . GOD.
1875-S I/II: Mintmark 1.1 mm high. "Medium S."
1875-S I/II: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S."
1876-CC I/I: Mintmark .74 mm high; 1.2 mm spacing between C's. "Micro CC," a.k.a. "Wide CC."
1876-CC I/I: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .5 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC."
1876-CC I/II: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .7 mmspacing between C's. "Medium CC."
1876-CC I/II: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .5 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC."
1876-S I/I: Mintmark .9 mm high. "Medium S."
1876-S I/I: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S."
1876-S I/II: Mintmark .75 mm high. "Micro S."
1876-S I/II: Mintmark .84 mm high. "Minute S."
1877-CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .8 mm spacing between C's. "Medium CC." Seen on coins with 77 in date lightly doubled and with minor doubling on the reverse; date numerals heavy, 1 and 8 touch ("Heavy Date").
1877-CC: Mintmark 1.2 mm high; .5 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC." Some reverse letters filled; date numerals heavy, 1 and 8 touch ("Heavy Date").
1877-CC: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .5 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC." Date numerals heavy, 1 and 8 apart ("Light Date").
1877-S: Mintmark .84 mm high. "Minute S." Date numerals light, 1 and 8 apart ("Light Date").
1877-S: Mintmark 1.1 mm high. "Medium S." Date numerals heavy, 1 and 8 touch ("Heavy Date").
1877-S: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S." Date numerals heavy, 1 and 8 touch ("Heavy Date"). Multiple dies.
1877-S: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S." Date numerals light, 1 and 8 apart ("Light Date"). Multiple dies.
1878-CC: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .35 mm spacing between C's. "Tall CC." At least two reverse dies, one with slight repunching on mintmark.
1878-S: Mintmark 1.17 mm high. "Large S." Multiple dies; some with mintmark filled (so that it appears as a blob).
1878-S: Mintmark 1.2 mm high. "Large S." Obverse with extra point on star 10.