Glossary of Numismatic Terms
Chuck D'Ambra
Attached is a text only version of a Glossary of Numismatic Terms.
Hypertext versions of the Glossary and the other 2 parts of an FAQ
about coin collecting can be accessed at any time from my home page at
http://www.telesphere.com/ts/coins
I'll be updating the FAQ in response to some recent discussions in
the group as time permits.
--
Chuck D'Ambra chu...@telesphere.com
http://www.telesphere.com/ts/coins
4th year buying and selling coins on the Net
Coin Collecting FAQ
Part 3 of 3
Glossary of Numismatic Terms
Written by Chuck D'Ambra, with contributions from Mike Locke, Michael Caver,
Andrew Andison, Mike Marotta, Andrew Tumber, Tony Clayton, Lou Coles and
Mike Dworetsky.
Last updated 12 January 1997
adjustment marks
Marks caused by filing a planchet before striking to reduce its weight
to the standard, as was sometimes done for early U.S. coinage
album
A book-like holder with slots for storing coins
altered
Intentionally modified after the minting process
ancient
A coin produced prior to about 500 A.D.
artificial toning
coloration added to a coin by treatment with chemicals or other
"doctoring"
attribute
n. A characteristic of a coin;
v. To identify a coin by determining the country of origin,
denomination, series, date, mintmark and (if applicable) variety
authentic/authentication
An original, non-counterfeit coin; determination by an expert on
whether or not a coin is authentic
bag marks
Small scratches and nicks resulting from movement of coins in the same
bag (also known as contact marks or keg marks)
bank note
Paper money issued by a bank
bar
A non-numismatic form of precious metal bullion
bas relief
Design elements are raised within depressions in the field
billon
An alloy of silver and another metal, usually copper, which is less
than 50% silver
bit
Pieces of eight were physically cut into eighths; each piece is one bit
blank
A piece of metal being prepared for coinage before the rims have been
raised by passing through the upsetting mill
bourse
A location where dealers buy and sell coins with each other and the
public, such as at a coin show
broadstrike/broadstruck
A coin struck without a firmly seated collar, resulting in "spreading"
outwards, but still showing all design details
brockage
A mirror image of the design from one side of a coin impressed on the
opposite side - occasionally, a newly struck coin "sticks" to a die,
causing the next coin struck to have a First Strike Mirror Brockage of
the coin stuck to the die; by the second strike the mirror is
distorted, and later strikes are termed Struck Through A Capped Die
bullion
A coin or other object composed primarily of a precious metal, with
little or no value beyond that of the metal
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
An agency of the U.S. Treasury Department responsible for production of
currency
business strike
A coin struck for circulation
Canadian
Post confederation Canadian numismatics
cameo
A coin, usually struck as a Proof, with a frosted or satiny central
device surrounded by a mirrorlike field
cartwheel
The pattern of light reflected by flow lines of mint state coins,
resembling spokes of a wheel;
Name given to the British pennies and twopences of 1797 due to their
unusually broad rims
certified coin
A coin authenticated and graded by a professional service
cherrypick
To find and purchase a coin worth a premium over the seller's asking
price (generally a rare die variety priced appropriately for a more
common variety)
chop mark
A symbol added to money by someone other than the government which
issued it to indicate authenticity
circulated
Denotes money that is no longer in mint state, generally as a result of
normal handling and exchange
clad
Composed of more than one layer, such as the copper-nickel over copper
composition of U.S. dimes, quarters, and halves minted presently
clash mark(s)
Outlines and/or traces of designs from the opposite side of a coin
resulting from die clash
cleaning
any process that removes foreign substances, corrosion or toning, e.g.
application of solvents, dipping, and rubbing with abrasive materials
or substances
cleaned coin
while any coin subjected to a cleaning process could technically be
considered cleaned, this term most commonly refers to those which have
been abrasively cleaned (a coin which has been abrasively cleaned
generally has a lower numismatic value than an otherwise comparable
uncleaned specimen)
clip
A coin, planchet or blank missing a portion of metal from its
periphery, caused by an error during blank production; types of clips
include curved (most common), ragged, straight, eliptical, bowtie, disk
and assay
clipping
Deliberate shearing or shaving from the edge of gold and silver coins;
patterns and mottos are included on edges to discourage the practice
coin
A piece of metal with a distinctive stamp and of a fixed value and
weight issued by a government and used as money (source: Webster's New
World Dictionary)
coin show
An event where numismatic items are bought, sold, traded and often
exhibited
collar
A device present in a coining press to restrict the outward flow of
metal during striking and to put the design, if any, on the edge of the
coin
collection
The numismatic holdings of an individual in total or of a particular
type
colonial
A coin issued by any colony; frequently refers to those produced by
European colonies in the Americas in the 17th and 18th centuries.
commemorative
A coin with a design commemorating a person, place or event
condition census
A list of the finest known specimens of a particular variety of coin
contact marks
Small surface scratches or nicks resulting from movement of coins in
the same bag or bin
counterfeit
An imitation of a coin or note made to circulate as if actually money;
An altered or non-genuine coin made to deceive collectors, usually a
rarer date or variety
cud
A raised lump of metal on a coin caused by a piece of a die having
broken off
cupro-nickel (or copper-nickel)
Composed of an alloy of copper and nickel, as for example U.S. 5 cent
coins (other than half dimes) and Canadian 5 cent coins produced since
1982.
currency
Paper money
damage
Physical change to a numismatic item, such as a scratch, nick, ding,
cleaning, hole or pitting
date
The year(s) shown on a coin, usually the same as the year it was minted
dealer
A person or company that regularly buys and sells numismatic
collectibles
deep mirror prooflike (DMPL)
Having highly reflective mirrorlike fields, similar to a coin struck as
a Proof
delamination
Metal missing or retained but peeling from the surface due to
incomplete bonding or impurities in the planchet
denarius
An ancient Roman silver coin weighing about 3 grams, roughly the same
size as a U.S. dime but thicker
denomination
The face value of a coin
denticles
Tooth like raise features just inside the rim of some coins (also known
as dentils)
design
The devices, lettering, etc. appearing on a coin and their arrangement
with respect to each other
designer
The creator of a coin design
device
A major design element, such as the bust of a person
die
A usually cylindrical piece of steel bearing at one end the incuse
design of one side of a coin (except for coins with incuse detail,
where the die details are in relief)
die chip
A small fragment broken off from a die; metal flowing into the
resulting hole during striking results in a small raised lump on the
surface of the coin
die clash
Upper and lower dies coming together in a coin press without a planchet
between them; design details may be partially impressed in the opposite
dies and subsequently as mirror images on coins struck from the clashed
dies.
die crack
A narrow fissure in the surface of a die; coins struck with such a die
have a narrow raised line corresponding to the crack
die erosion
Wear on a die from use in the minting process
die flow lines
see flow lines
die state
The condition of a die at a particular point in its life
die polish
Small raised lines in the field of a coin resulting from polishing of a
die to remove chips, clash marks, etc.
dipping
Cleaning by immersion in a liquid capable of removing molecules from
the surface, such as a solution containing thiourea
disme
The original spelling of dime, 1/10 of a dollar
double denomination A very rare error in which a normally struck coin is
restruck by another denomination die pair
double die
A dubious term sometimes intended to mean a doubled die coin and
sometimes indicating machine doubling (because there is often a
substantial difference in value between the two, a savvy buyer will be
sure to determine which case is true for any coin described as such)
doubled die
A die with doubled device details, letters and/or numerals resulting
from any of several possible differences between the multiple hub
impressions during its manufacture; a coin struck from such a die
double eagle
A U.S. gold coin with a face value of $20, first minted in 1849 and
last officially minted in 1932
drachma
An ancient Greek silver coin weighing about 3 grams, roughly the same
size as U.S. dime but thicker
eagle
A U.S. gold coin with a face value of $10, first minted in 1795 and
last minted in 1933; also, the current U.S. $50 face value gold bullion
coin.
edge
The "third side" of a coin, encompassing the perimeter
E Pluribus Unum
"Out of many, one"; the motto on many U.S. coins
error
Any unintentional deviation in the minting process resulting in one or
more coins with a different appearance than intended
exergue
The lower part of a coin or medal, usually divided from the field by a
line and often containing the date, mintmark or engraver's initial(s).
exonumia
Tokens, medals and other non-monetary coin-like objects
eye appeal
Overall attractiveness (beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
face value
The ordinary monetary worth of a coin or note at the time of issue
field
The flat background on a coin, medal or token
fishscale
Canadian 5 cents silver;
U.S. 3 cent silver coin
flan
British term for a planchet
flip
A soft plastic holder normally used for a single coin
flow lines
Microscopic lines in the surface of a coin resulting from the outward
flow of metal during striking
fiat money
Money that is not backed by specie and is legal tender by decree
fractional currency
Paper money with a face value of less than one dollar
fugio cent
The first coin issued by authority of the United States, produced by
contractors in 1787
galvano
An epoxy coated plaster relief model of a coin, token or medal created
by electrodeposition (much larger than the dies later created from it)
grade/grading
One of several terms summarizing the overall condition of a coin or
other numismatic item; the process of evaluation leading to assignment
of a grade (see detailed discussion in Part 2)
Greysheet
the Coin Dealer Newsletter, a price guide for U.S. coins intended for
dealer-to-dealer sight seen transactions
hairlines
Light scratches in the surface of a coin
half cent
A U.S. coin with a face value of 1/200th of a dollar first minted in
1793 and last minted in 1857
half dime
A U.S. coin with a face value of 5 cents issued with dates between 1794
and 1873; originally called a half disme
half eagle
A U.S. gold coin with a face value of $5 first minted in 1795 and last
minted in 1929
hobo nickel
A coin (usually a U.S. Buffalo nickel) physically altered to produce a
substantially different image
holed
Having a hole drilled through it, usually as a result of being used for
jewelry
holder
Any device designed for storage and sometimes display of numismatic
items
hub
A steel bar used to make dies having the same raised design on one end
as one side of the coins ultimately produced
impaired proof
A proof coin with wear or damage resulting from circulation or other
handling
incuse
The opposite of relief -- design elements are impressed into the
surface
key date
The rarest (or one of the most rare) and therefore most expensive
members of a coin series, e.g. the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent or 1916-D
Mercury dime
Krause
A numismatic publishing company (Krause Publications); this company's
Standard Catalog of World Coins
lamination flaw
See delamination
large cent
A U.S. coin with a value of 1 cent, minted from 1793 to 1857, composed
primarily of copper and larger in diameter than the current U.S.
quarter
legal tender
Money that may be legally offered in payment of an obligation and that
a creditor must accept (source: Webster's New World Dictionary)
legend
Lettering on a coin other than the denomination or nation which issued
it
loonie
Popular name for the Canadian loon dollar coin
loupe
A type of magnifying glass used by numismatists and jewelers
luster
The brilliance of a coin, resulting from reflection of light off die
flow lines
machine doubling
Doubling of details resulting from loose dies during striking
(generally considered to have no numismatic value)
mail bid
An auction format in which bids are submitted by mail; the highest
offer for each lot received by the closing date wins the lot (several
other rules usually apply)
matte proof
A proof coin with a granular (rather than mirrorlike) surface produced
by dies treated to obtain a minutely etched surface
medal
A coin-like object struck to honor one or more persons or events
depicted or mentioned in its design; an object awarded to persons in
recognition of service or other accomplishment
melt/melt value
The worth of precious metal in a coin, determined by multiplying the
amount of the metal it contains by the spot price of the metal
mint
A facility for manufacturing coins
mintage
The quantity of a denomination of coins produced at a mint during a
period of time (usually one year)
mint bloom
The original surface of a newly minted coin
mintmark
A letter or symbol designating the mint which produced the item bearing
it
mint set
A specially packaged group of uncirculated coins from one or more mints
of the same nation containing at least one coin for most or all of the
denominations issued during a particular year
mint state
In the same condition as when delivered from the mint (natural toning
excepted); uncirculated
misplaced date
One or more digits of a date punched away from the intended location,
such as in the denticles or in the central design
motto
A phrase imprinted on a coin, for most U.S. coins "E PLURIBUS UNUM"
mule
A coin struck from two dies not intended to be used together
multiple strike
A coin struck more than once as a result of not being properly ejected
from the coining press
natural toning
Coloration resulting from chemical change on the surface during normal
environmental exposure over a prolonged period
net price
A term signifying that the seller is unwilling to sell for less than
the price marked
numismatics
The collection and study of coins, tokens, medals, paper money and
other objects exchanged for goods and services or manufactured by
similar methods (see detailed discussion in Part 1)
numismatist
A person who collects and/or studies numismatic items
obol
A small silver coin of ancient Greece, originally a day's wages for a
rower on a galley or a citizen on jury duty.
obverse
The front or "heads" side of a coin, often bearing a portrait and date
off center
Incorrectly centered during striking, resulting in part of the design
missing (off the edge)
original/original toning
Having natural surfaces resulting from long exposure to ordinary
environmental conditions; uncleaned
overdate
A coin struck from a die with at least one digit of the date repunched
over a different digit, e.g. 1809/6 or 1942/1.
overgraded
Designated with a higher grade than merited
over mintmark
One mintmark on top of a different mintmark, such as a 'D' over an 'S'
(denoted D/S)
paper money
Paper notes with standardized characteristics issued as money
paranumismatica
British term for exonumia
patina
A thin layer of naturally oxidized metal on the surface of a coin
acquired with age
pattern
A coin struck as a test piece for a new design, sometimes without a
date
pick up point
An area where a feature, such as die doubling, is most evident
piece of eight
A former Spanish coin with a face value of eight reales; the U.S.
dollar was originally valued at and tied to eight reales
pitted
Having a rough surface due to loss of metal by corrosion
planchet
A piece of metal prepared for coinage with raised rims but as yet
unstruck
plugged
Denotes that a holed coin has been filled
porous
Having a granular surface as the result of oxidation, most frequently
found with older copper coins
prestige set
A set of coins produced by the U.S. Mint containing one or more proof
commemorative coins released in the same year, as well as a proof cent,
nickel, dime, quarter and half
problem coin
Any coin that has been cleaned or damaged or has other undesirable
characteristics
proof
A coin specially manufactured to have extra sharp detail, mirrorlike
fields and sometimes frosted or "cameo" devices, produced for sale to
collectors at a premium or for exhibition or presentation
prooflike
Having mirrorlike fields, similar to a coin struck as a Proof
proof like
A coin specially manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint with mirror
fields
proof set
A specially packaged group of coins containing at least one of most or
all of the denominations of proof coins struck by a nation in a
particular year
quarter eagle
A U.S. gold coin with a face value of $2.50 first minted in 1796 and
last minted in 1929
rarity
An infrequently encountered or available item; the number of surviving
specimens of a particular issue, as may be indicated by a rarity scale
index
rarity scale
A convention for designating the rarity of a coin, such as Sheldon's
system (with values such as R1 for common pieces and R6 for extremely
rare specimens) and the Universal Rarity Scale invented by Alan Herbert
(with designations such as URS3)
real
A former basic monetary unit of Spain and Spanish colonies in the
Americas
Red Book
The Handbook of U.S. Coins, a retail price guide for U.S. coins
published annually, originally written by R.S. Yeoman
reeded edge
An edge with raised parallel lines, a.k.a. milled or grained
relief
Features rising above the field
repunched date
A date with one or more of the digits punched more than once in
different locations and/or orientations
repunched mintmark (RPM)
A mintmark punched more than once in different locations and/or
orientations
restrike
A coin struck with authentic dies later than the date it bears
reverse
The back or "tails" side of a coin
rim
The outer edge of a coin, often raised to avoid premature wear
round
A disc shaped piece of precious metal bullion
scrip
A note issued by and redeemable at a merchant or group of merchants
series
Coins of the same major design and denomination, including every
combination of date and mintmark minted, e.g. Morgan dollars
Sheldon scale
A numerical grading system ranging from 1 to 70 created by Dr. William
H. Sheldon to denote proportional values of large cents minted from
1793 to 1814 and subsequently adaped as a general grading scale
shinplaster
Canadian fractional banknotes
sight seen
Available for examination to a potential buyer before a purchase
decision is made
sight unseen
Not available for examination to a potential buyer before a purchase
decision is made, as is usually the case with mail order transactions
silver certificate
A note (paper money) once redeemable for its face value in silver
silver clad
A clad coin with one layer containing silver, such as U.S. halves
struck from 1965 to 1970
silver eagle
A coin produced by the U.S. mint beginning in 1986 containing one ounce
of silver and having a nominal face value of $1 (not released for
circulation)
slab
A coin certified by a professional grading service as authentic and
encapsulated in a sealed hard plastic holder also containing a label
bearing the service's opinion of its grade and other information (see
detailed discussion in FAQ)
slider
A coin with very slight traces of wear, such that it almost passes for
an uncirculated specimen
specie
Precious metal used to back money, usually gold and silver
split grade
Different grades for the obverse and reverse sides
spot
Short for spot price;
A small area of corrosion or foreign substance
spot price
The market price for immediate delivery of a commodity, such as a
precious metal
spread
The difference between buy and sell prices on the same item(s) of a
dealer, broker, etc.
The extent of separation between impressions on a doubled die.
stella
A U.S. gold coin pattern with a face value of $4 minted in 1879 and
1880
striations
Incuse marks caused by rolling bars during planchet production
strike
The process of impressing the design from a die into a planchet to make
a coin, token or medal;
The completeness of detail (as in weak strike, full strike, etc.)
created during this process
strike doubling
See machine doubling
tetradrachma
An ancient Greek silver coin weighing about 13 to 17 grams, roughly the
same size as a U.S. quarter but three times thicker
thumbing
The rubbing of skin oil onto a coin in an attempt to hide contact marks
token
A coin-like object redeemable for a particular product or service, such
as transportation on a bus or subway; an unofficial coin issued by a
business or town to be used as small change, e.g., in 17th-19th century
Britain, and in France in the 20th century
toning
Color acquired from chemical change on the surface
trade dollar
A U.S. coin with a face value of $1 minted from 1873 through 1885
specifically for commerce in the Orient;
A U.K. coin with a face value of $1 minted from 1895 through 1935
specifically for commerce in the Orient
trime
A U.S. coin with a face value of 3 cents minted in predominantly silver
alloys from 1851-1873
tube
A plastic container designed for storing a roll or other quantity of
coins of the same size
type coin
Any coin of a particular design and denomination, usually one of the
more common dates
type set
A collection of coins of various designs; rather than try to complete
the series, the goal of the type collector is to obtain at least one
example of several different types
uncirculated
Never circulated; without any wear
VAM
Any variety of U.S. silver dollar described in the book Morgan and
Peace Dollars by Van Allen and Mallis.
variety
Any coin struck from a die pair that differs from others with the same
date and mintmark, such one exhibiting die doubling, different style
letters or numerals, or a repunched mintmark
want list
A tabulation of collectibles sought by a collector, often including
limits on condition and/or price
water mark
A design put into paper at the manufacuring stage by pressing it while
wet between rollers bearing the design
wear
Metal lost during handling and contact with other objects
whizzing
Alteration by mechanical polishing to produce a shiny surface
world coins
Coins issued by various nations, as in a collection comprised of coins
thereof
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