1922 No D Penny: Why Some 1922 Cents Have No Mint Mark

Here’s a puzzle: in 1922, the Philadelphia Mint didn’t strike any Lincoln cents. Every 1922 cent came from Denver and should carry a D mint mark under the date. Yet some 1922 cents have no mint mark at all. These 1922 “No D” cents are one of the key dates in the wheat penny series, and they’re also a favorite target for people altering coins.

How a Coin Ends Up With No D

In 1922, Denver was the only mint making cents, and it was working hard to meet demand. To keep presses running, worn dies were kept in service and some were polished to remove damage. The D on some dies became filled with grease and debris, or was polished away. Coins struck from those dies came out with a faint D, or with no D at all.

So a 1922 No D cent isn’t a different mint. It’s a Denver coin from a worn, filled or polished die.

Not All No D Cents Are Equal

Specialists sort these coins by die pair, meaning the specific front and back dies used. PCGS and NGC recognize several varieties:

• 1922 No D, Strong Reverse (Die Pair 2): the valuable one. No trace of the D, and the back of the coin is sharply struck. This is the variety collectors want most.
• 1922 No D, Weak Reverse (Die Pair 3): also no D, but the back is weak and mushy. Worth much less than the Strong Reverse.
• 1922 Weak D: a faint D is visible. These are worth more than a regular 1922-D, but far less than a true No D.

The difference between these can be subtle, and it makes a big difference in value. That’s a job for a professional grader.

Is My 1922 Penny Valuable?

A regular 1922-D with a clear D is itself a semi-key date, with a mintage of about 7.16 million. It’s worth more than most wheat cents, even worn. A genuine Strong Reverse No D is worth much more.

How People Fake a 1922 No D

The most common fake is simple: take a regular 1922-D and remove the D. Signs to look for under a 10x magnifier:

• A smooth, shiny or scraped spot below the date where the D was
• Tool marks or tiny scratches in that one area
• The rest of the coin is sharp, but the D is gone. On real No D coins, the worn and filled dies often left the whole front a little weak
• Color in that spot that doesn’t match the rest of the coin

Other fakes are altered dates, where a different year has its last digits changed to read 1922. Check that the “22” matches the style and wear of the “19.” See added and removed mint marks for more on how alterations are made.

Get an Expert Opinion

Because value depends on the die pair, and because removed mint marks are common, a 1922 No D is worth sending to PCGS or NGC if you believe it’s genuine. Buyers expect it. See should I get my coins graded?

And don’t clean it. Cleaning can make an honest coin look tampered with, and it lowers the value. See should I clean my coins?

The Bottom Line

All 1922 cents were struck in Denver. Some lack the D because of filled or polished dies, and the Strong Reverse No D is the valuable variety. Weak Reverse and Weak D coins are worth less. Coins with a D that was scraped off have no collector value beyond a damaged coin, so look closely at the area under the date.

Have a 1922 cent with no mint mark? JoCo Coin Shop offers honest, no-obligation appraisals across the Kansas City area. Contact me by phone, text, or email with clear photos to get started. For other key dates, see are wheat pennies worth anything? and the 1909-S VDB penny.