- alloy: A substance composed of several metals
- bagmarks: Surface marks caused by impact from other coins during the handling process before the coin enters circulation
- bank roll: A common means of distributing coins where a bank would roll coins before distributing them to branches or customers
- base value: The base metal value of a coin
- brilliant finish: A coin finish characterized by angled reflective surfaces producing a cartwheel effect
- brown: A copper coin practically devoid of any original mint brilliance
- bullion value: The base metal value of a coin
- business strike: A coin struck for circulation
- carbon streaking: Black streaks across a copper coin
- cartwheel lustre: The natural reflectivity of a brilliant finish coin in which luster will reflect down the diameter of a coin
- central strike weakness: A weak strike around the centre of the design caused by a lack of concavity in the dies relative to strike pressure.
- cleaned: A state of coin which has been artificially altered to appear as a higher grade
- commemorative: A coin struck differing from the standard design to commemorate an event
- commercial proof: A proof coin produced with the intention of being sold to the general public
- date set: A complete set of all years and mintmarks of a particular series
- debase: The state act of reducing the precious metal content of a denomination
- decimal: Currency in equivalent units of base 10
- decimal currency: Currency based on units of a multiple of 10
- denticles: Tooth like shapes around the edge of a coin
- devices: The closed, unexposed areas of the design
- die: A cylindrical punch with an inverted impression of a coin's design used to strike the coin
- die blob: An incuse mark, usually a contact mark on a working die that causes a blob to appear on any coin struck from it
- die cleaning striations: Raised lines on the surface of a coin caused by abrasive cleaning of the die that struck it
- die crack: A crack on the die which produces a raised line on the die it produces, or on the coins it strikes
- die fault: a flaw on the die producing an anomaly on the coins it strikes
- die fill: Filling of a device on the die with residue, usually oil from die cleaning, causing parts of the design not to be complete when the coin is struck
- die number: A number appearing on a coin indicating which die struck it used prior to 1880 in the United Kingdom
- die polishing curls: Small hairline curls on the surface of a coin caused by circular polishing of the die
- die polishing striations: Raised lines on the surface of a coin caused by abrasive polishing of the die that struck it
- error: A coin struck with a significant enough or amount of flaws that it should not have been permitted into circulation
- exergue: a space on the reverse of a coin or medal below the central design, often containing the date, mint, or other information
- face value: The nominal value of a coin
- fields: The open, exposed areas of a coin's design
- filled die: A die with contaminants filling the design causing coins to be struck with missing detail
- friction: Wear that has not flatted the detail, usually caused during the minting process and therefore acceptable in mint state
- general release: The typical circulation coin of a particular year
- hoard: A large number of coins found from a single source that have never before reached the collector market
- issue price: The price a collector coin is sold to the public at the time of issue
- key date: A difficult date to acquire in any grade, hence being the key to a series
- legend: The inscription around the inner edge of the coin
- master die: A cylindrical punch with an impression of a coin's design used to strike the working dies of a coin
- matte proof: A type of proof strike that has a sandblasted appearance as opposed to a typical mirror finish
- mint: a facility that produces coins
- mint bag: A common means of distributing coins where a mint stores coins in cloth or plastic bags before distributing them to banks
- mint bloom: The way light reflects off a coin's original surfaces
- mint brilliance: The original golden-red-orange-pink colour of a copper coin
- mint lustre: The original reflectivity of a coin
- mint master: the controller of a mint
- mint roll: A common means of distributing coins where a mint stores coins in paper rolls before distributing them to banks
- mint set: An official set of uncirculated or specimen coins of the year
- mint state: A state of a coin that shows no signs of circulation
- mintage: The number of coins struck of a particular designation
- mintmark: A marking, usually a letter or dot that signifies which mint struck a particular coin
- mirror finish: The state of a coin finished with a naturally reflective appearance
- mule: An error coin in which the obverse and reverse of two different coins are mixed together
- obverse: The heads side of the coin
- one-year type: A series that only has one date/mintmark combination available
- overdate: A coin with a numeral in the date punched or tooled over another numeral
- pattern: A coin struck as a representation piece of a coin that never eventuated
- peripheral striking weakness: A softly struck legend usually the result of an overly concave die paired with low die pressure.
- piedfort: A coin that is double the thickness of the regular issue.
- planchet: The piece of metal a coin is struck on
- pre-decimal: Denominations without base 10 equivalents
- proof: A coin struck from specially prepared dies to strike a superior quality coin not intended for circulation
- proof of record: A proof or specimen strike intended to represent a circulation piece produced for mint records
- proof set: An official set of proof coins of the year
- proof-like: A coin that resembles the appearance of a proof coin of the same type, often resulting from being struck from the same dies
- provenance: The ownership history of a coin or other important collectible
- red: The colour designation of a copper coin that has at least 95% of its original mint brilliance
- red-brown: The colour designation of a copper coin that has between 5% and 95% of its original mint brilliance remaining
- reeded edge: Grooved lines around the edge of a coin initially invented to prevent filing precious metal off the edge of a coin
- relief: The raised part of a coin's design
- restrike: A coin struck from a particular coin's original dies after the intended year of issue
- reverse: The tails side of the coin
- rim: The edge around a coin, often with beading or denticles
- rim beading: Beads or denticles around the rim of a coin
- rolling: The act of wrapping stacks of coins in paper resulting in a transportable roll of coins
- scrap value: The base metal value of a coin
- security roll: A common means of distributing coins where a security company would roll coins before transporting them
- semi-key: A date that is scarcer than the average date of a series
- specimen: A coin struck from an early circulation die state, not intended for circulation
- surface: The open fields of a coin
- surface hairlines: Fine surface marks caused by other coins scraping against them
- tone: Discolouration of the surface of a coin caused by environmental exposure
- toning: Discolouration of the surface of a coin caused by environmental exposure
- treasury note: a debt issued by the government much like banknotes are for banks
- trial: A coin struck to prepare for the striking commercial issues, often to test dies or as a representation piece submitted for approval
- type coin: A coin chosen to represent a series in a type set, usually for cost or quality reasons
- type set: A collection consisting of one coin of each type and possibly variety
- uncirculated: A coin which has not been circulated
- uniface: A coin struck with one face blank
- variety: A coin which features a slightly different design from that which is normally seen
- virgin hoard: A hoard not yet searched for key dates or varieties
- working die: The die with a reversed impression of the coin used to strike the actual coins
|
