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Altered - An altered
coin has been tampered with in some way after leaving the Mint,
generally for the purpose of increasing its value to collectors. Typical
altering involves adding or removing a mintmark or adding artificial
toning to enhance eye appeal or to hide marks.
A.N.A. - American Numismatic Association.
Bag Marks -Scratches or minor abrasions
caused by coins knocking against each other in bags. As the Mint
transports its coins in bags, it is natural for uncirculated specimens
to exhibit such abrasions.
Bar Cent - A token struck in this country
shortly after the War of Independence, so called because it carries a
series of bars on the reverse. On the obverse is the lettering
"U.S.A." in script, without any further design or date.
Barber Dime, Quarter, Half Dollar - Coins
of these denominations designed by Charles E. Barber, chief engraver at
the mint in the late 19th century.
Base Metal - Any metal other than Gold,
Silver or Platinum.
Bath Metal - Metal made from an alloy of
zinc and copper. Used in Britain in the 18th century for tokens and
sometimes for medals.
Blank - Another term for planchet or flan:
the circular piece of metal, of the size and weight of the finished
coin, prior to striking. Today blanks are stamped out by machine in a
high-speed process. In early times they were customarily cut with
special shears from a cob of metal.
Booby Head - A variety of the Large Cent
for 1839, in which the portrait of Liberty is amateurishly engraved and
has a clownish appearance.
Bourse - A gathering of coin dealers at a
show or convention, generally at tables.
Broadstrike - Coin of a larger than normal
diameter. This is actually not a planchet but a striking error. The coin
is struck without a protective collar and is then spread by impact
beyond its normal dimensions.
Bronze - A composition generally of 90%
copper, 4% tin, 1% zinc, used for coinage since ancient times. The
formula has varied in different places and eras.
BU - Brilliant Uncirculated, Best
Uncirculated or Bright Uncirculated. It can also be described as UNC,
Uncirulated or Mint State.
Bullion - A metal which has yet been struck
into coinage. Gold and Silver coins frequently use this term as bullion
content to describe the amount of gold or silver in a minted coin.
Bust - Usually referred to as the portrait
on a coin. A bust could be anything from a head and neck to a likeness
encompassing a third of the body, but most often meant to mean the head,
neck and upper portion of the shoulders.
Casting - A method of manufacturing coins,
in which striking is not done. The metal is poured while molten hot into
dies bearing recessed designs, and fills up the the crevices of the
design. When dry and hard, the finished coin is removed from the mold or
cast, and has an appearance similar to that of a struck coin. Casting
was the usual process for making medals.
Clashed Die - When coin Dies are driven
together, in the act of striking, but because of mechanical failure no
planchet has come between them, they "Clash." It is customary
in these instances for an impression of each die to be transferred to
the other, and for coins subsequently struck from those dies to carry
traces of the ghost image.
Coining - The manufacturing of coins.
Collar - A circular steel ring, into which
the planchet is set prior to striking. It serves to prevent the planchet
from spreading out from the force of impact of the dies. If the coin is
to have a reeded edge, these markings will be present on the collar, to
be transferred to the planchet.
Commemorative - A coin or medal designed to
honor some person, place or event, often of an anniversary nature.
Counterfeit - A coin or article made in the
syle of a genuine specimen but made to deceive buyers.
Cracked Skull - Coin obverse struck from a
defective die, showing a line or lines in the portrait's head.
Cull - A coin in defective condition.
Device - A symbol of local significance,
used on the reverse of a coin in conjunction with a motto. The Eagle has
been a frequent device on U.S. Coins.
Die - A thick metallic disc, bearing the
design and lettering, ect. for one side of a coin in incuse or recessed
image. A set of two dies, one representing the obverse and one the
reverse, is used for striking the planchet or blank being sandwiched
between them and squeezed very hard.
Dollar - The U.S. coin valued at 100 cents,
introduced in 1793.
Double (d) Die - Two impressions of the die
on a coin, caused by mechanical malfunction.
Double Eagle - U.S. gold coin with a face
value of $20. Its physical size ia about that of a silver dollar. Struck
from 1849 to 1933.
Draped Bust - A coinage portrait on which
clothing is indicated. The draping may be a filmy veil of classical
style or a military jacket or just about anything else.
IGC - Independent Coin Grading Company.
Mint State (MS) - The term Mint State (MS)
can be interchanged with Uncirculated (UNC) to describe "new"
coins showing no trace of wear.
NGC - Numismatic Guarantee Company.
PCGS - Professional Coin Grading Service.
Proof (PR) - A specially made coin
distinguished by sharpness of detail and usually with a brilliant
mirrorlike surfaces. Proof refers to the method of manufacture and is
not a condition. Pre-1968 proofs were made only at the Philadelphia Mint
except in a few rare instances in which presentation pieces were struck
at branch mints. Current proofs are made at the San Francisco an West
Point mints. VAM - Term coined by
Leroy Van Allen & A. George Mallis, authors of The Comprehensive
Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars, commonly
referred to as the Bible of misstrikes and variations. Currently
only recognized as official variations by SWCGS, ANACS and NGC. Glossary
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