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Dictionary of
Numismatic Terms
The glossary will help you understand terms and acronyms
commonly used in the field of coin collecting, or numismatics. All entries are
listed alphabetically.
- abrasions - Light rubbing or scuffing from friction,
not to be confused with hairlines or bag marks.
- adjustment marks - Small striations or file marks
found on early United States coins. Made during planchet preparation (before striking) by
drawing a file across the planchet to remove excess metal, resulting in a series of
parallel grooves. This was done to reduce the planchet to its proper weight.
- alloy - A combination of two or more metals.
- ANA or A.N.A. - The American Numismatic
Association, an organization dedicated to numismatic interests.
- ANAAB or A.N.A.A.B. - The American Numismatic
Association Authentication Bureau, a third party authentication service operated by the
American Numismatic association.
- ANACS or A.N.A.C.S. - The American Numismatic
Association Certification Service, a third-party grading service operated by the American
Numismatic Association until 1990, when it was sold to Amos Press.
- annealing - The heating and cooling process by which
planchets are softened to allow the metal to flow more smoothly during the strike.
- bag mark - A surface mark, usually in the form of a
nick, acquired by a coin when it came into contact with others in a mint bag. Bag marks
are most common on large and heavy silver and gold coins.
- blemishes - Minor nicks, marks, flaws, or spots of
discoloration that mar the surface of a coin.
- bronze - An alloy of copper, zinc, and tin.
- bullion - Uncoined gold or silver in the form of
ingots or plate.
- business strike - A coin intended for circulation in
the channels of commerce (in contrast to a proof coin specifically struck for collectors).
- choice - An adjective used to describe an especially
select specimen of a given grade. For example, Choice AU-55 represents an especially
select About Uncirculated coin (typical About Uncirculated being AU-50).
- cleaning - Refers to removing dirt or otherwise
altering the appearance of a coin through the use of abrasive materials that mar or
scratch the surface in a detectable fashion.
- commemorative - A coin issued to mark a special event
or to honor an outstanding person.
- counterstamp - A design, group of letters, or other
mark stamped on a coin for special identification or advertising purposes. Counterstamped
coins are graded the way regular (uncounterstamped) coins are, but the nature and
condition of the counterstamp must also be described.
- DDO or D.D.O. - Doubled Die Obverse, an
obverse die which exhibits doubled images in one or more places.
- DDR or D.D.R. - Doubled Die Reverse, a reverse
die which exhibits doubled images in one or more places.
- denticles or dentils - The toothlike raised
design around the rims of some coins. They are part of the die design.
- designer - The artist who creates a coin's principal
devices.
- details - Small features and fine lines in a coin
design. Particularly those seen in hair, leaves, wreaths and feathers.
- die - A metal object used to impress a design into a
planchet. Dies are usually engraved incuse, so that the devices and inscriptions they
produce will be in relief.
- dipping - The act of removing tarnish, surface dirt,
or changing the coloration of a coin by applying chemicals, or otherwise artificially
treating it with liquids.
- disme - The early spelling of the word
"dime," one tenth of a dollar.
- double eagle - A United States twenty dollar gold
coin.
- eagle - A United States ten dollar gold coin.
- edge - The area which borders a coin's surface. Also
referred to as a coin's "third side." Edges of United States coins may be
reeded, lettered or plain.
- electrotype - A counterfeit coin made by the
electroplating process.
- engraver - A person who cuts a design into a coinage
die.
- field - The portion of a coin's surface not used for
a design or inscription.
- fineness - Purity of gold or silver, normally
expressed in the terms of one thousand parts.
- grade - The condition or amount of wear that a coin
has received. Generally, the less wear a given coin has received, the more valuable it is.
Coins are graded on the A.N.A. numerical system from About Good-3 to Perfect
Uncirculated-70.
- hairlines - A series of minute lines or scratches,
usually visible in the field of a coin, sometimes caused by cleaning or polishing.
- half eagle - A United States five dollar gold coin.
- hub or hob - A metal object with the intended
coin design in relief on one end as it would appear on the finished coin. It is used to
produce dies.
- incuse - The design of a coin which has been
impressed below the coin's surface. When the design is raised above the coin's surface, it
is said to be in relief.
- "key date" - Slang usually indicating the
rarest (and therefore most expensive) date-and-mint of a particular coin series.
- legend - The principal inscription on a coin.
- lg. - Abbreviation for the word "large,"
generally referring to a date or mintmark.
- luster - The glossy appearance of the surface of a
coin. Although normally brilliant, with time luster may become dull, frosty, spotted or
discolored.
- milled edge - A raised rim around the outer surface
of a coin. Not to be confused with the reeded or serrated narrow edge of the coin.
- mintmark - A symbol, usually a small letter, used to
indicate at which mint a particular coin was struck.
- modification - A minor alteration in the basic design
of a coin.
- motto - A word or phrase on a coin.
- mule - A coin struck from obverse and reverse dies
not originally intended to be used together.
- NGC or N.G.C. - Numismatic Guaranty
Corporation of America, a third-party grading service.
- nick - A small mark on a coin caused by another coin
bumping against it or by contact with a rough or sharp object.
- numismatics - Area of study relating to coins,
medals, or similar items.
- numismatist - A student or collector of coins,
medals, or similar items.
- obverse - The front or fact side of a coin, usually
the side with the date or the principal design. Opposite of the reverse side.
- overdate - The date made by superimposing one or more
different numbers on a previously dated die.
- oxidation - The formulation of oxides or tarnish on
the surface of a coin from exposure to air, dampness, industrial fumes, or other elements.
- pattern - A prototype of a proposed coin design.
- patina - A green or brown surface film found on
ancient copper and bronze coins caused by oxidation over a long period of time.
- PCGS or P.C.G.S. - Professional Coin Grading
Service, a third party grading service founded in 1986 by David Hall. PCGS was the first
third party grading service to sonically seal each coin in a plastic container with its
grade and registration number. These plastic containers became popularly referred to as
"slabs."
- planchet - Disk on which a design is impressed to
make a coin, metal or token.
- proof - Coins struck for collectors and using
specially polished or otherwise prepared dies.
- prooflike - Used to describe any uncirculated coin
with a mirrorlike reflective surface but lacking the full characteristics of a proof.
- quarter eagle - A United States two and one half
dollar gold coin.
- reeded edge - The edge of a coin with grooved lines
that run vertically around its perimeter. This type of edge is found on all current United
States coins above the five cent denomination.
- relief - Any part of a coin's design that is raised
above the coin's surface. When the design has been impressed below the coin's surface, it
is said to be incuse.
- restrike - A coin struck from genuine dies at a date
later than its original issue.
- reverse - The side of a coin carrying the design of
lesser importance. Opposite of the obverse side.
- rim - The raised portion of a coin encircling the
obverse and reverse which protects the designs of the coin from wear.
- scratch - A deep line or groove in a coin caused by
contact with a sharp or rough object.
- series - One coin of each year issued from each mint
of a specific design and denomination, e.g., Standing Liberty Quarters 1916-1930.
- slab - Slang term for a coin that has been graded,
registered and encapsulated (sonically sealed) in a plastic container by a third party
grading service.
- sm. - Abbreviation for the word "small,"
generally referring to a date or mintmark.
- striations - Thin, light raised lines on the surface
of a coin, caused by excessive polishing of the die.
- striking - Refers to the process by which a coin is
minted. Also refers to the sharpness of design details. A sharp strike or strong strike is
one with all of the details struck very sharply; a weak strike has the details lightly
impressed at the time of coining.
- toning - Natural patination or discoloration of a
coin's surface caused by the atmosphere over a long period of time. Toning is often very
attractive, and many collectors prefer coins with this feature.
- truncation - The sharply cut off bottom edge of a
portrait.
- type - A coin's basic distinguishing design.
- unique - An item of which only one specimen is known
to exist.
- variety - A minor change from the basic type design
of a coin.
- weak strike - A coin with certain areas of its
details (in the areas of high relief) not fully formed because of the hardness of alloy,
insufficient striking pressure or improper die spacing.
- wear - The abrasion of metal from a coin's surface
caused by normal handling or circulation.
- whizzing - The artificial treatment of a coin by wire
brushing, acid dipping, or otherwise removing metal from the coin's surface to give it the
artificial appearance of being in a higher grade. Whizzing is an alteration, not a grade
or condition.
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