Designation LMD and MMD on coins. Marks of Russian mints. Where is the mint marked on the coin?

IN 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 and medals. In total, there are several dozen mints and on each coin there is an indication on which of them it was made. It’s just that each coin identifies the mint differently.
Why is it necessary to identify the mint of a coin, you may ask? This is one of the factors that directly affects the value of the coin on the numismatic market. The cost is also 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 the coin issued in a certain 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 the St. Petersburg Mint only 500 thousand, then the cost of the latter will be higher over time.

Mint mark on modern Russian coins

On modern Russian coins, the St. Petersburg Mint is designated by the abbreviation SPMD on ruble coins and SP on penny coins. The Moscow Mint is designated by the abbreviation MMD on ruble coins and M on penny coins. It is curious that on coins of 1992, coins of the St. Petersburg Mint were marked with the seal L. There are also cases of defects in which individual coins were issued without a mint mark. As a rule, such coins cost 10 times their face value.
Since the production standard has long been established in mints, the place where the mint is indicated is strictly defined already at the time of manufacture. On kopecks (coins in denominations 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 (in denominations 1 ruble, 2 rubles, 5 rubles, 10 rubles), the mint mark is stamped under the left paw of the double-headed eagle, in which the orb is located. On commemorative coins that do not have an eagle on the obverse, the mintmark is on the denomination side of the coin.
In order to detect a mint mark, in most cases it is enough to have acute vision. However, if the icon was not found, do not rush to rejoice that the coin is rare. You should carefully examine the coin using a magnifying glass 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 the victory in the Great Patriotic War and chervonets 1977. But on change coins, the mint mark began to be indicated only in 1990.

Mint mark on coins of the Russian Empire

As for older coins of times Russian Empire, then there were several dozen yards where coins were printed. Finding symbols is quite difficult, since only on coins good quality The mint mark has been preserved quite clearly. Nevertheless, let's look at the abbreviations that denoted certain mints.
AM. Found on coins of 1789-1796. The so-called Annin coin was printed in the village. Anninskoye, Perm province. Mostly these were coins in denominations of 2 and 5 kopecks made of copper.
BK. Red and Naberezhny Mints of Moscow. The BC reduction comes from the Big Treasury. Found on coins from the period 1704-1718.
W.M. (also M.W. and W.M.). Abbreviation for Warsaw coin. Found on coins from the period 1815-1915 (the period when the Kingdom of Poland became part of the Russian Empire).
THEM. Abbreviation for Izhora coin. Coins were printed in the period 1810-1821, mainly in denominations of 1 and 2 kopecks. They were published in the village of Izhora near St. Petersburg.
KM. Abbreviation for Kolyvan coin. The coins were printed between 1767 and 1839. At first, only the so-called was printed with this sign. Siberian coin, then from 1801 national. The name comes from the Kolyvano-Voskresensky copper smelters Altai Territory, on which coins were issued.
MM. Abbreviation for Moscow coin. The coins were printed in the period 1758-1795. Found on coins of 1 and 2 kopecks.
CM. Abbreviation for Suzun coin. Coins were printed in the period 1831-1847 at the Nizhne-Suzunsky copper 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 (Petersburg Court in 1797-1799 and Bank Mint in 1799-1801).
TM. Abbreviation for Tauride coin. Published in the city of Feodosia in the period 1787-1788. This “mint” is notable for the different denominations of the coins it produces, which was not typical for other regional “mints.” Thus, copper coins were issued in denominations from half a half to 5 kopecks, and silver coins from 2 to 20 kopecks.

How to identify a mint

The first thing a novice numismatist should learn is to identify the mint where the coin was made. This skill will come in handy more than once, because... In many ways, the value of a coin is determined by where it was minted and in what quantity.

You will need

Instructions

Determine the year of issue of the coin

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

Where to look for the mint emblem?

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

A magnifying glass will help you examine the mint mark

What types of emblems are there?

Today there are two mints in Russia - St. Petersburg and Moscow, and they are usually designated by abbreviations. The Moscow Mint has the following abbreviations: M (coins in denominations of 1-50 kopecks), MMD (coins in denominations from 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). You can only see abbreviations well with a magnifying glass, but most often it is enough to simply understand the first letter.

What if there is no logo?

If you carefully examined the coin from all sides and did not find the treasured emblem anywhere, this is also a good sign. If there really is no abbreviation, it means marriage. Yes, this happens at the mint too. But do not be discouraged in any case, because due to their rarity, such coins are valued higher than ordinary ones.

In Russia, only two mints issue coins - Moscow and St. Petersburg. I talked about them in some detail in articles. But until now, many novice numismatists and ordinary owners of coins are constantly confused about them, and sometimes I cannot find the location of the mint stamp on the coin. Because of this, it is not possible to accurately determine the market value of a coin, because the same denomination issued by different mints, although in rare cases, differs in price.

So, on modern Russian coins, including commemorative ones, you can find two mint abbreviations: MMD and SPMD. The first, as you understand, belongs to the Moscow Mint, the second, respectively, to the St. Petersburg Mint. But it happens that the mint is not indicated, as was the case with. In this case, the coin automatically becomes rare and expensive.

On penny coins, the letters M and S-P are used to designate the mint. They are located on the obverse of the coin with the image of a horseman with a spear, under the hoof of his horse.

On ordinary ruble coins, including and, the mint mark is located on back side under right paw eagle. And, as mentioned above, it is designated MMD or SPMD. They are easy enough to distinguish, but if you have difficulty seeing, I recommend using a magnifying glass.

As you remember, there are two types of 10 ruble anniversary coins: bimetallic and steel. The mint mark on bimetallic coins is located on the obverse below the denomination. The mint mark on steel coins is located on the right under a stylized image of a plant branch.

The Bank of Russia also issues commemorative coins in denominations of 2 and 5 rubles. On them, the mint mark is located on the front of the coin on the right side of the edge (inside the branch of the plant).

And the last coins -

Many beginners in numismatics are somewhat skeptical about mint definition who issued this coin. And let’s say this is wrong for the future collector of rare coins. After all, knowing 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 to determine the 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 penny coins, the symbol appears on the reverse in the form of the letters M and S-P. Sometimes some coins do not have the court designation. And as a result of such a marriage, the value of the coin increases significantly. Also, a novice collector should not be alarmed by the fact that the Moscow Mint stamp on the coins looks somewhat larger than the St. Petersburg mint stamp. It is so indeed.

To identify the mint, a numismatist may need a magnifying glass. But if circumstances permit, you can use a camera or scanner. But the last two methods are more suitable for old or worn coins. So a magnifying glass is the main tool of a 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 the coin under its denomination. This is clearly illustrated in the photo below.

And penny coins will delight the collector with the letters M or S-P under the front hooves of the horse.

On coins of the early nineties, mints are indicated on the obverse 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.

For regular coins that are in circulation, the mint emblems are located on the reverse of the coin under the eagle's paw on the right side. The mint monograms are standard, so you can easily distinguish them.

Here. Now you know how to identify the mint on a coin and you will be able to arrange all your coins not only in order, but also differentiate between mints, like a real professional numismatist.

Collecting coins, or numismatics - the most popular type collecting. Some consider it incorrect to call coin collecting numismatics, since this word refers to the science of the origin and history of coins. However, this does not change the essence of the process.

There are three main areas of coin collecting: thematic (collecting coins with certain images), collecting commemorative and anniversary coins, year-by-year (coins of a certain country by year and by mint, that is, they have certain marks of the mints of Russia or another state).

It is worth noting that collecting coins is a very expensive hobby. Vintage pieces can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Not everyone can afford to buy a piece of metal for that amount. Commemorative and commemorative coins also have a significant value, since in most cases they are made from precious metals or are produced in limited quantities. That is why among beginning numismatists, the most popular area of ​​collecting is collecting yearbooks of the USSR and Russia. But not everything is so simple here either! Even coins of the same state, denomination, year of issue and the same condition can have different values ​​on the market.

Why are some coins more expensive?

For example, in the Russian Federation today there are two mints - in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Both of these enterprises produced coins of the same denomination during the same period of time. However, one of the mints may have released a limited edition. It is coins minted in smaller quantities that will have a higher value. The limited series may be explained by the fact that the mint could not keep up with the minting, and part of the order was transferred to a second one. The marks of Russian mints will help identify the manufacturer.

What is a brand?

The Mint is a state-owned enterprise engaged in the production of banknotes, orders, medals, memorial signs, and minting coins.

A hallmark is a sign, a designation of the enterprise where the coin was produced (minted). Letters, monograms, icons, drawings, and so on can serve as mint marks.

As noted earlier, its market value depends on which mint - Moscow or St. Petersburg - minted the coin.

The first domestic coin to bear a mint mark is the 1975 ruble, dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of Victory in the Second World War. The mint's monogram (mark) is minted at the bottom right of the image of the monument. Subsequently, mint marks were not placed on copper-nickel commemorative coins. In addition to domestic coins, the mark of the Russian Mint (SPMD - St. Petersburg Mint) is on the change coins of Tajikistan.

Where are the Russian mint marks placed on coins?

In 1991, the mint marks were the letters “M” and “L” - the Moscow and Leningrad Mints. On Soviet coins, the stamp was located to the right of the coat of arms. Exception - 5 and g.

On coins of different denominations minted in 1991-1992 (the so-called GKChP issue) there are various marks of Russian mints. The letter "M" - 10 kopecks, the letter "L" - 50 kopecks, monograms LMD and MMD - 1 ruble. On coins of this period, the mint marks are located below the denomination.

All modern coins in circulation indicate the mints of Russia (designations - M, MMD, S-P, SPMD). On small change coins (1-50 kopecks) under the horse’s hoof there can be an S-P or M. The letter “M” is on coins minted by the Moscow Mint, “S-P” - by the St. Petersburg Mint.

This principle is also observed on coins of 1, 2, 5 and 10 rubles. If you look closely, on the coin on the left under the paw of the double-headed eagle you can see the monograms MMD or SPMD (Moscow or St. Petersburg Mint, respectively). However, there are differences here too - on coins from the same mint and the same year of minting, the mark has a different location relative to the eagle’s paw. The market value of offset products is slightly higher.

Why are some coins missing marks?

It should also be noted that the marks of the Russian mints may not be on the coin. Most often, its absence is a manufacturing defect - the monogram or letter designation was simply forgotten to be applied during the production of the stamp. To date, four coins without a hallmark are known - 1 ruble 1993 (timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Vernadsky), 5 kopecks 2002 and 2003, 2 rubles 2001 with the image of Yuri Gagarin (40 years of the first human flight into the space). These coins are quite rare and, therefore, have special value for collectors.

As for Soviet coins, almost all of them have no mark. You can identify the mint by analyzing the coin itself in detail. Some features of the stamp design make it possible to determine the place of minting. The most obvious differences are in letter designation on a coin.

History of the Moscow Mint (mark M, MMD)

History of the St. Petersburg Mint (mark L, S-P, SPMD)

The city in which the oldest operating mint in Russia is located is St. Petersburg. The Mint was founded in 1724 by Peter I. The Peter and Paul Fortress was chosen as the base. This enterprise is one of the largest mints in the world. Also the building is unique monument architecture and the oldest industrial enterprise cities. The Mint produces insignia, orders, medals, and mints commemorative and commemorative coins, including coins made of precious metals.