Does anybody collect the 1968-1974-S series?

[Guest]

I only recently found out about the 1968-1974 San Francisco-minted pennies. I like to collect them because they are a unique series and because S minted circulation pennies were out of production for over a decade and this was a short revival. I think of them as funky little coins that couldn't last forever. I know that most of them aren't worth anything over face value but I hoard pennies so I save every one I find. I found a BU 1968-S in a roll a couple of nights ago. Does anybody know the backstory for these coins? Why did they fire up the penny making machines in Frisco for 7 years then shut it back down so soon? Am I the only one who collects these?

[willbrooks]

Pretty much everyone who collects a date/mint mark set has these as part of their set. I assume the practice was resumed in 1968 for supplemental reasons. In 1965, they passed the "coinage act of 1965" which said no coinage could contain a mint mark for a period of 5 years. This was done so people would stop removing coins with mint marks from circulation so that the government could build up inventory of certain coins. The act was repealed in 1968 and mint marks could again appear. This is why we suddenly had mint marks again in 1968. I am curious to know if cents were actually minted at SF during 1965-1967 without the mint mark, but I can't find information on that. Onecent1909 taught me recently that cents were struck at the west point mint from 1974-1986 bearing no mint mark which makes them indistinguishable from Philadelphia minted cents, so it makes me think it is possibility, but I have no evidence of it.

[WxMan]

I have the 68-74 in my S mint collection. Also anytime I find a S mint coin I keep it.

[bugo]

I have the 68-74 in my S mint collection. Also anytime I find a S mint coin I keep it.

Since I keep every wheat penny that I find, and the last S mint wheat was in 1955, and I keep every '68-'74 S mint penny that I find I guess I do the same thing.

[The Guide]

I too save 68-74 "S" Memorials and as noted in my recent thread look forward in snagging them. Additionally, I have been fortunate to obtain a 79-S (at least an AU grade) and 86-S in bricks. I assume this is not commonplace since these were not minted for circulation. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[GrumpyEd]

The 68-74-s are pretty cheap and easy to find in unc rolls.
Try picking them up as a mini roll set, and try not to get addicted and start of roll set of all memorials while you're at it.
Not a lot of money but it's a fun unc roll set to put together and you might find some nice unc varieties while you do it.