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A.N.A.
American Numismatic Association
A.N.S.
American Numismatic Society
Coin
Glossary:
Alloy
Metal made from 2 or more different metals, which have been blended together while in the molten
state.
Annealing
The process of heating up coin blanks just prior to striking to make them soft (so
the impression is sharper).
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).
Base Metal
Any metal
that's not silver, gold or platinum.
Blank
A circular piece of metal that's the size and weight of
the finished coin prior to striking. Also called a planchet or flan.
Broadstrike/Broadstruck
A coin
struck without a firmly seated collar, resulting in "spreading" outwards, but still showing all design details.
Bronze
A
copper and tin alloy used in making coins and artifacts.
Bullion
Metal that's not yet struck into coinage.
Bust
Coin
portrait.
Cameo
A coin, usually struck as a Proof, with a frosted or satiny central device surrounded
by a mirror-like field.
Certificate of Authenticity
A document that accompanies a limited-edition item
to establish its place within the edition. It may include series name, artist name, item description, etc.
Certified
Coin
A coin authenticated and graded by a professional service.
Circulated
Denotes money that
is no longer in mint state, generally as a result of normal handling and exchange.
Cladding
A manufacturing
process where a coin's internal composition differs from its exterior covering.
Clash Mark
Outlines
and/or traces of designs from the opposite side of a coin resulting from a die clash.
Commemorative
A
coin or stamp designed especially to honor a person or place or to celebrate a special event.
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 more valuable date or variety.
Cull
A coin that is extremely worn and/or damaged.
Currency
Circulating
media of exchange which primarily refers to paper money.
DMPL
Deep mirror proof like; having highly
reflective mirrorlike fields, similar to a coin struck as a Proof.
Die
A thick, metallic disc which
bears the design and lettering for one side of a coin.
Double Denomination
A rare error in which a
previously struck coin is restruck by the die pair of another denomination.
Double Eagle
A U.S. gold
coin with a face value of $20, first minted in 1849 and last officially minted in 1932.
Edge
The third
side of a coin, encompassing the perimeter.
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
the coin or medal, usually divided from the field by a line and often containing the date, mintmark, or engravers' initials.
Exonumia
Tokens,
medals, and other non-monetary coin-like objects.
Face
The coin's obverse side. It's called the face
because many coins have a portrait (or `face") on that side.
Face Value
The ordinary monetary worth
of a coin or note at the time of issue.
Field
The background that surrounds a coin's design.
Fineness
The
quality of gold or silver in a coin; also the ratio of bullion vs. alloy expressed in a percentage.
Flip
a
soft plastic holder normally used for a single coin.
Foil
A very thin layer of metal.
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.
Gold
A heavy, yellow metallic element
used for coins and jewelry since prehistoric times.
Grade/Grading
One of several terms summarizing
the overall condition of a coin or other numismatic item; the process of evaluation leading of assignment of a grade.
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 Eagle
A U.S. gold coin with a face value of $5 first
minted in 1795 and last minted in 1929.
Hub
A steel bar used to make dies having the same raised design
on one end as one side of the coins ultimately produced.
Ingot
Precious or base metal shaped in a form,
usually a bar, that bears an assay mark and statement of weight.
Inscription
Wording appearing on a
coin's face or the motto on a coin's reverse.
Legal Tender
Money that may be legallyoffered in payment
of an obligation and that a creditor must accept.
Legend
The motto or slogan on a coin.
Limited
Edition
An item that's produced only in a certain quantity or within a particular time period.
Loupe
A
type of magnifying glass used by numismatists and jewelers.
Medal
A non-coin metal object that bears
a design, and often wording, on one or both sides.
Mint
A private or governmental organization that
manufactures coins.
Mintmark
A letter or symbol designating the mint which produced the item bearing
it.
Mint Set
A set of coins of each denomination produced by a certain mint in a particular year.
Mint
State
The term Mint State and Uncirculated are interchangeably used to describe coins showing no trace of wear.
Mintage
The
quantity of a denomination of coins produced at a mint during a period of time(usually a year).
Motto
A
slogan on a coin, such as "In God We Trust."
Mule
A coin struck from 2 dies not intended to be used
together.
Natural Toning
Coloration resulting from chemical change on the surface during normal environmental
exposure over a prolonged period.
Numismatics
The study of coins and articles used as money.
Obverse
The
front or face side of a coin.
Off Center
Incorrectly centered during striking, resulting in part of
the design missing (off the edge).
Pattern
A coin struck as a test piece for a new design; sometimes
without a date.
Pitted
Having a rough surface due to loss of metal by corrosion.
Porous
Having
a granular surface as the result of oxidation, most frequently found withholder 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
a proof cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half.
Proof
A coin that has a mirror-like surface, struck
with polished dies on a polished blank. Can be abbreviated as Pr.
Quarter Eagle
A U.S. gold coin with
a face value of $2.50 first minted in 1796 and last minted in 1929.
Relief
A design raised up from
the surface.
Reverse
The back 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…i.e. Morgan Dollars.
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. havles 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).
Striking Days
Refers to the number of days a coin is in production.
Thumbing
The
rubbing of skin oil onto a coin in an attempt to hide contact marks.
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
A coin that's in perfect condition; it shows no signs of wear or damage.
Does not necessarily have a brilliant surface. Can be abbreviated as Unc.
Uniface
A coin with a blank
reverse side.
Variety
Any coin struck from a die pair that differs from others with the same date and
mintmark, such as one exhibiting die doubling, different style letters or numerals, or a repunched mint mark.
Want
List
A tabulation of collectibles sought by a collector, often including limits on condition and/or price.
Wear
Metal
lost during handling and contact with other objects.
Whizzing
Alteration by mechanical polishing to
produce a shiny surface.
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