Two Varieties

There are two varieties of 1960 Cents; the Small Date and the Large Date. These two varieties are found in the 1960-P Mint State (Spending Money) coins, the 1960-D Mint State coins, and the 1960-P Proof coins. The US Mint started the year 1960 with the Small Date variety and changed to the Large Date variety during the year. There are fewer of the Small Date variety, so these coins command a premium price.

How to Tell the Difference

Here are two examples of the 1960-P Mint State cent. One is a Large Date variety; the other is a Small Date variety.

From this perspective you can see that the date on the left hand coin is larger than the date on the right hand coin; specifically, the 9 and the 6 are different sizes. Let’s take a closer look:

• The top of the 9 is above the top of the 1 on the large date but is below the top of the 1 on the small date
• The 6 is significantly larger on the large date than the small date
• The 0 on the Large date is circular while the 0 on the small date is an oval shape

Here is another view with some visual aids:

Philadelphia Issues vs Denver Issues

The dates are shaped the same for the Philadelphia and Denver mint state issues and for the Philadelphia Proofs. The value of these three issues is different though. The following table is based on average retail information for certified coins from PCGS and NGC for March 2020:

The following is based on wholesale information from the CDN Greysheet for February 2020. Rolls of 50 Uncirculated BU 1960 cents:

In summary, there is not a lot of difference between the P and D / Small and Large Dates in Certified coins, but the 1960-P Small Date is much higher valued than the others for uncertified coins.

Happy Hunting!