| Alloy |
- a mixture of two or more metals |
| ANA |
- American Numismatic Association, the national organization for coin collectors |
| Assay |
- the testing of an ore sample to determine its precious metal value |
| Attribution |
- the designation of a coin's variety according to standard reference books |
| Authentication |
- the determination of a coin's genuineness |
| Base metal |
- a non-precious metal, such as copper, nickel or zinc |
| Blank |
- an unstruck coin disc, the same as "planchet" |
| Bourse |
- a popular term for the sales floor of a coin show |
| Brass |
- an alloy of copper and zinc |
| Bronze |
- an alloy of copper and tin |
| Bullion |
- refined precious metal in non-coin form |
| Certification |
- the process of having a coin authenticated, graded and encapsulated
|
| Clad |
- a laminated or sandwiched coin metal |
| Collar |
- a retaining ring which imparts a coin's edge, whether plain or reeded
|
| Commemorative |
- a coin honoring an event, place or individual, usually of limited mintage |
| Condition census |
- a roster of the five or six finest known specimens of a particular coin
|
| Contact marks |
- small nicks imparted by contact with other coins |
| Counterfeit |
- a non-genuine coin, whether made to circulate as money or to deceive collectors |
| Coronet |
- a crown or tiara frequently seen on the Liberty portrait of 19th Century U. S. coins |
| Currency |
- circulating money, used numismatically to denote a non-proof coin |
| Denomination |
- the face value of a coin, such as one cent, ten cents, etc. |
| Denticles |
- the toothlike projections seen on the borders of older U. S. coins |
| Device |
- a raised design element on a coin, such as a portrait or lettering |
| Die |
- a cylindrical shaft of steel that imparts one side of a coin's design (two are required) |
| Double eagle |
- a United States $20 gold coin, issued from 1850 to 1933 |
| Eagle |
- a U. S. $10 gold coin, issued from 1795 to 1933 |
| Edge |
- the third side of a coin, it can be plain, reeded, lettered or starred
|
| Encapsulated coin |
- one which has been sealed inside a plastic holder |
| Field |
- the flat surface area of a coin between the various devices |
| Fineness |
- the percentage or decimal proportion of precious metal in a coin |
| Flip |
- a flexible, transparent, plastic envelope having one pocket for a coin and one for its label |
| Frosted |
- describes a coin's surface which is textured rather than smooth or glossy |
| Grade |
- the numerical value assigned to a coin's condition on a scale of 1 to 70 |
| Hairlines |
- fine scratches on a coin's surface which may affect its grade |
| Half cent |
- a U. S. copper coin of that value, issued from 1793 to 1857 |
| Half dime |
- a U. S. silver five-cent coin, issued from 1794 to 1873 |
| Half eagle |
- a U. S. $5 gold coin, issued from 1795 to 1929 |
| Hub |
- a steel cylinder bearing one side of a coin's design and used to produce dies |
| Intrinsic value |
- the value of a coin's metal, irrespective of its face or collector value
|
| Legal tender |
- a coin declared by a government to be acceptable in the payment of all debts |
| Legend |
- an inscription which appears on a coin, such as LIBERTY |
| Lettered edge |
- the edge of a coin on which either raised or sunken letters appear |
| Luster |
- the reflected light from a coin as determined by its surface texture and quality |
| Matte |
- the purposely dulled surface of a coin, this style was used on certain U. S. proof coins |
| Minor coin |
- a base-metal coin of small value, such as a cent or nickel |
| Mint |
- the structure where coins are produced, or, the governmental body overseeing its work |
| Mintmark |
- a small letter appearing on a coin to denote its city of manufacture
|
| Mint State |
- describes an unworn coin and means the same as Uncirculated |
| Mirror |
- the brilliant surface of a coin, typically the fields of a proof or prooflike coin |
| MS |
- the abbreviation for Mint State, it's used with a numerical figure to grade unworn coins |
| Numismatics |
- the studying and collecting of coins |
| Numismatist |
- one who engages in numismatic activity for whatever end |
| Obverse |
- the front side of a coin ("heads") |
| Overdate |
- a coin variety in which one date is impressed over another |
| Pattern |
- an experimental coin made as a test of a new design, material or technology
|
| PF |
- the abbreviation for Proof, it's used with a numerical figure to grade proof coins |
| Plain edge |
- the edge of a coin which is smooth and lacking any decoration |
| Planchet |
- a blank disc that will be stamped between dies to produce a coin |
| Press |
- a compression machine in which dies come together to stamp a coin |
| Proof |
- a high-quality coin for collectors made in small numbers from specially prepared dies |
| Prooflike |
- having the appearance of a proof co in, that is, mirrorlike fields |
| Quarter eagle |
- a U. S. $2.50 gold coin, issued from 1796 to 1929 |
| R1, R2, R3, etc. |
- a scale of coin rarity ranging from R1 (very common) to R8 (unique)
|
| Red Book |
- the popular name for A Guide Book of United States Coins, by R. S. Yeoman
|
| Reeded edge |
- the edge of a coin on which raised lines appear |
| Relief |
- the portion of a coin's design which is raised above the smooth surface or field |
| Restrike |
- a coin made years after the original edition but from the same dies
|
| Reverse |
- the back side of a coin ("tails") |
| Series |
- a continuous run of coins of the same type, such as the Buffalo Nickel series of 1913-38 |
| Slab |
- a slang term for an encapsulated coin |
| Specie |
- coined money, as opposed to paper money or other store of wealth |
| Starred edge |
- the edge of a coin featuring either raised or sunken stars |
| Strike |
- the action of producing a coin, or, the quality of a coin's detail sharpness
|
| Trade dollar |
- a special type of silver dollar made from 1873 to 1885, primarily for export |
| Trime |
- a U. S. silver three-cent piece, issued from 1851 to 1873 |
| Type collecting |
- assembling a collection of one of each coin denomination and design
|
| Uncirculated |
- describes an unworn coin and means the same as Mint State |
| Wire rim |
- a fine, raised line of metal around the rim of very sharply struck coins
|
