West Point Mint coins come from the branch facility of the United States Mint in West Point, New York.
The West Point Mint strikes coins with a “W” mintmark.
The West Point mint mark first appeared on U.S. coins in September 1983 and is the “youngest” mintmark seen on the nation’s coinage.
While the West Point Mint was first established as a bullion depository in 1937, it was striking coinage by the 1970s. The facility was granted mint status on March 31, 1988.
Many coin collectors have questions about West Point Mint coins, including:
- What types of coins has the West Point Mint made?
- How much are West Point coins worth?
- Are West Point Mint coins rare?
- How much gold is stored at the West Point Mint?
You’ll find the answers to all of those questions below…
A List Of West Point Mint Coins
You may be surprised to find out that you’ve probably spent many West Point coins in circulation and didn’t even know it.
That’s because some of the first coins ever made at the West Point Mint were regular-issue pennies and quarters with no mintmark.
Without a mintmark, those West Point pennies and quarters are indistinguishable from other pennies and quarters struck at the Philadelphia Mint — which in the 1960s and ‘70s also didn’t place a mintmark on those coins.
Since the 1980s, the West Point Mint facility has shifted its focus from producing ancillary coins for circulation to mainly striking various types of commemorative coins and gold coins. Since 1980, the West Point Mint has also produced gold medals.
Here’s a list of the coins made at the West Point Mint:
Bolded series are coins that are or have been regularly produced by the West Point Mint.
- Lincoln Memorial pennies – 1973 to 1986
- Washington quarters – 1977 to 1979
- 1984-W Olympic Torch Bearers $10 Olympic gold coin (the first coin to bear a “W” mintmark)
- American Gold Eagle bullion coins – 1986 to present
- 1986-W Statue of Liberty $5 gold coin
- 1987-W U.S. Constitution $5 gold coin
- 1988-W Seoul Olympics $5 gold coin
- 1989-W Congress Bicentennial $5 gold coin
- 1990-W Eisenhower Centennial silver dollar
- 1991-W Mount Rushmore $5 gold coin
- 1992-W XXV Olympiad $5 gold coin
- 1992-W White House 200th Anniversary proof silver dollars
- 1992-W Christopher Columbus Quincentenary $5 gold coins
- 1993-W Bill of Rights silver half dollar
- 1993-W Bill of Rights $5 gold coin
- 1993-W World War II 50th Anniversary proof silver dollars
- 1993-W World War II $5 gold coin
- 1994-W World Cup Tournament $5 gold coin
- 1994-W Vietnam Veterans Memorial silver dollar
- 1994-W U.S. Prisoner of War Museum silver dollar
- 1994-W Women in Military Service Memorial silver dollar
- American Silver Eagles – 1995 to present
- 1995-W Civil War Battlefield Preservation $5 gold coin
- 1995-W XXVI Olympiad Torch Runner $5 gold coins
- 1995-W XXVI Olympiad Stadium $5 gold coins
- 1995-W XXVI Olympiad Flag Bearer $5 gold coins
- 1995-W XXVI Olympiad Cauldron $5 gold coins
- 1995-W Special Olympics World Games silver dollar
- 1996-W Roosevelt Dime (issued in uncirculated sets only)
- 1996-W Smithsonian Institution 150th Anniversary $5 gold coins
- 1997-W Jackie Robinson $5 gold coins
- 1997-W Franklin D. Roosevelt $5 gold coins
- American Eagle Platinum bullion coins – 1997 to present
- 1999-W George Washington Death Bicentennial $5 gold coins
- 2000-W Library of Congress Bicentennial bimetallic (gold/platinum) $10 coins
- 2001-W U.S. Capitol Visitor Center $5 gold coins
- 2002-W Salt Lake City Olympics $5 gold coins
- 2002-W West Point Bicentennial silver dollars
- 2003-W First Flight Centennial $10 gold coins
- 2007-W Jamestown 400th Anniversary $5 gold coins
- First Spouse $10 gold bullion coins – 2007 to 2016
- American Buffalo .9999 fine gold coins – 2008 to present
- 2008-W Bald Eagle Recovery and National Emblem $5 gold coins
- 2010-W American Veterans Disabled for Life silver dollars
- 2011-W Medal of Honor proof $5 gold coin
- 2011-W U.S. Army proof $5 gold coin
- 2012-W Infantry Soldier silver dollars
- 2012-W Star-Spangled Banner $5 gold coins
- 2013-W Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Centennial silver dollars
- 2013-W 5-Star Generals silver dollar
- 2013-W 5-Star Generals $5 gold coin
- 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 gold coins
- 2015-W U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary $5 gold coins
- 2015-W silver proof Roosevelt dime
- 2015-W March of Dimes 75th Anniversary proof silver dollar
- American Liberty High-Relief gold coins – 2015 to present
- 2016-W Mark Twain $5 gold coins
- 2016-W National Park Service 100th Anniversary $5 gold coins
- 2017-W Boys Town Centennial $5 gold coins
Are West Point Coins Valuable?
Yes, most types of West Point Mint coins are valuable.
However, most are valuable not because they were struck at the West Point Mint — but rather because the vast majority of coin types struck there contain silver, platinum, or gold!
When it comes to sheer mintage figures, ordinary Lincoln cents from the 1970s and ‘80s as well as regular-issue 1970s Washington quarters make up a huge percentage of the coins the West Point Mint struck.
Again, because West Point Lincoln pennies and Washington quarters have no distinguishing features, there’s no way to tell if that 1980 Lincoln penny with no mintmark is a Philadelphia penny or West Point penny — no way, no how.
Are West Point Mint Coins Rare?
You could say there are some rare West Point coins. Certainly, the highest-graded West Point commemorative coins are scarce.
And there aren’t too many 1996-W Roosevelt dimes grading MS-68 with Full Bands. Those are scarce, too.
But, by and large, West Point coins aren’t necessarily rare as a general rule, and there aren’t any great West Point Mint rarities – at least none that are really considered super rare and valuable, like the 1804 Draped Bust silver dollar or even the 1909-S VDB Lincoln penny.
Not counting those no-mintmark West Point Lincoln pennies and Washington quarters, the only other West Point coin you’re most likely to encounter in circulation is the 1996-W Roosevelt dime, pictured here:
The 1996 West Point dime was issued only in uncirculated sets — but there’s little doubt that at least a few of these coins have been cut out of their packages and accidentally (or intentionally) spent.
If you come across a 1996-W Roosevelt dime in circulation, it would likely have a value of $3 to $5. These coins are super scarce in relation to other Roosevelt dimes and is worth holding onto!
Can You Visit The West Point Mint?
While the Philadelphia Mint and Denver Mint both offer public tours, the West Point Mint generally does not offer tours. It’s a high-security facility that has allowed visitors from the press and some numismatic organizations on only special occasions.
So, if you want to see firsthand how coins are made, it’s a good idea to book tickets to Philadelphia or Denver!
What About That Gold At The West Point Mint?
You may have heard there’s a lot of gold at the West Point Mint.
That’s no joke!
In 1983, United Press International ran a story on the amount of gold stored at the West Point Mint.
At the time, the West Point Mint had 60 million ounces of pure gold on hand — which back then was worth $25 billion (or about $75 billion now, given current gold values). This is second in terms of the quantity of gold holdings only to Fort Knox!
Today, the West Point Mint still has billions of dollars of gold in its bullion depository, which also contains silver bars.
More Info About West Point Coins
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you learn more about West Point Mint coins:
- Billions In Gold & Treasures At The West Point Mint
- The West Point Mint At 75 Years Old
- What You Need To Know About West Point Silver Eagles
If you collect or invest in American Silver Eagles, you might enjoy my latest book – A Guide Book of American Silver Eagles (Whitman Publishing).
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century.
I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek.
I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
