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COINS TERMINOLOGY
Numismatics(pronounced nu-mis-mat-iks), like any science, has a language of its own spoken by its practitioners and students. New collectors unfamiliar with terms like obverse, reverse, mint mark and double eagle may feel confused by a bewildering lexicon. But the language need not be confusing. A handful of commonly used terms are defined here.
Alloy : Mixture of more than one metal. All coins, with the exception of certain bullion issues, are alloys. For example, a copper-nickel or bronze coin.
Altered : A coin that has been deliberately changed to make it resemble a rare or more valuable piece.
Assay : Test to ascertain the weight and purity of a precious metal.
Bag Marks/Contact Marks : Surface abrasions found on coins, as a result of coins striking the surfaces of other coins during bagging and shipping procedures. Not to be confused with circulation wear.
Carat : Indication of the fineness or purity of gold.
Clad : Composite metal coinage strip composed of a core, usually of a base metal such as copper, and surface layers of more valuable metal like copper-nickel. For example, the current US cents, dimes, quarters and halfs are clads.
Coin : Usually a piece of metal, marked with a device, issued by a governing authority and intended to be used as money.
Condition : The state of preservation of a coin's condition. The value of coin is largely governed by its condition.
Counterfeit : An imitation especially one made with express intent to deceive.
Debase : To lower the intrinsic value of a coin by altering its purity.
Denomination : The face value of a coin; the amount of money it is worth as legal tender. Not to be confused with a market value; for example, an 1897 British Trade Dollar that has a face value of 1 dollar has a higher market value.
Device : The principal design element, such as a portrait, shield or heraldic emblem, on the obverse or reverse of a coin.
Die : A hardened metal punch, the face of which carries an intaglio or incuse mirror-image to be impressed on one side of a planchet.
Edge : Often termed the third side of a coin, it is the surface perpendicular to the obverse and reverse. Not to be confused with the rim. Edges can be plain(like the US 1 cent), reeded(like the US quarters), patterned(like the silver 8-reales), lettered(like the Singapore 50 cent) or combined(reeded and lettered like the UK 1 pound).
Effigy : The image or likeness of a person. For example, the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on UK and some Commonwealth coins.
Fantasy : An object having the physical characteristics of a coin, issued by an agency other than a governing authority(or without official sanction) yet purporting to be issued by a real or imagined governing authority as a coin.
Field : The flat part of a surface of a coin surrounding and between the head, legend or other designs.
Flow lines : Microscopic striations in a coin's surface caused by the movement of metal under striking pressures.
Frost : Effect caused by striking a coin with sandblasted dies, often used in reference to Proof coins.
Hub : A right-reading, positive punch used to impress wrong-reading, mirror-image dies.
Legal tender : Currency(coins or paper money) explicitly determined by a government to be acceptable in the discharge of debts.
Lettered edge : An incused or raised inscription on the edge of a coin. Example of raised inscription(Maria Theresa silver thaler 1780) and incused inscription(Brazil 50 centavos since 1998). Incused inscription are more common among coins.
Minor coin : A silver coin of less than crown weight, or any coin struck in base metal. Silver quarters and florins are some examples of minor coins.
Mint Mark : A letter or other symbol indicating the Mint of origin. Coins of Spain, US, Mexico, etc. have mint marks.
Money : A medium of exchange.
Nickel : A silver-white metal widely used for coinage. Symbol Ni.
Numismatics : The science, study or collecting of coins, medals, paper money, tokens, orders and decorations and similar objects.
Numismatist : A person knowledgeable in numismatics, with greater knowledge than a collector.
Obverse : The side of a coin which bears the principal design or device, often as prescribed by the issuing authority. In informal English, the "heads".
Overdate : A number engraved in the date over the original engraved date. For example, 1921 with 2 over the 1.
Patina : The coloring on a coin that is caused by oxidization of the metal. Value is added to a coin where a fine patina is present.
Pattern : Coin-like pieces designed to test coin designs, mottoes or denominations proposed for adoption as a regular issue and struck in the metal to be issued for circulation, but which were no adopted, at least in year of pattern issue. The US 1856 Flying Eagle 1 cent is a pattern; the coin was not struck for circulation or authorized until 1857.
Piedfort : Piedfort is the same as the regular proof coin but struck on a planchet of about double the thickness.
Planchet : The disc of metal which when placed between the dies and struck becomes a coin. Also called flan or blank.
Proof : A specially made coin distinguished by sharpness of detail and usually with a brilliant mirror-like surface. Proof refers to the method of manufacture and not the condition.
Restrike : A numismatic item produced from original dies at a later date. In the case of a coin, the restrike usually occurs to fulfill a collector demand and not a monetary requirement. An example of a restrike is the Austrian Maria Theresa 1780 silver thaler.
Reverse : The side opposite the obverse, usually but not always the side with the denomination. The side opposite the side containing the principal design. Informally, the "tails".
Slab : A rigid plastic, permanently sealed holder, usually rectangular, especially those used by third-party grading services.
Series : Related coinage of the same denomination, design and type, including modifications and varieties.
Type : A basic coin design, regardless of minor modifications. The Japanese 1 yen 1949 and 1 yen 1999 are different types.
Variety : The difference between individual dies or hubs of the same basic design or type. The basic design was slightly modified, but otherwise unchanged. The Malaysian 1 ringgit 1989-93 and 1993-98 are of different varieties. The former having the denomination written as $1 and the latter as 1 Ringgit; other details unchanged.
NUMISMATICS IS FUN AND EDUCATIONAL
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