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The Coin
Collecting Dictionary
Welcome to the Coin Collecting Dictionary. Here you will find the
terms, definitions, etc. that are unique to our
beloved hobby. Simply click on the letter
below to bring you to all the terms and
definitions for that letter.
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H I J K L
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P Q R S
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Y Z
A
About Good (AG)
About
Good is a term used to describe a condition of a
coin. It is part of the 70 point
Sheldon
Scale for coin grading. Within this scale
an AG coin would be graded as AG-3. It is
typically very worn. The date, much of the
lettering and design are barely legible.
About Uncirculated (AU)
About
Uncirculated (AU) is a term to describe a
condition of a coin. It is part of the 70
point
Sheldon Scale for coin grading.
Within this scale an AG coin would be graded as
AU-50, AU-53, AU55 or AU58. An AU-50 coin
will show wear on many of the highest parts of
the design. Original mint luster may still
be present. This coin may have noticeable
contact marks or flaws.
An
AU-53 coin will be a slight step above the
AU-50. This coin will still show
noticeable spots of wear on the high points.
The coin will have very few contact marks or
blemishes and will have good eye appeal.
An
AU-55 coin will be a slight step above the AU-53
and only small patches of wear will be
noticeable and only on the highest points on the
coin. The coin will have good eye appeal
and will have much, if not most of its original
mint luster. This coin will also be known
as Choice Uncirculated.
An
AU-58 coin will have the ever so slight bit of
wear on one or more of the high points.
Wear is barely noticeable and may be hard to
detect. There will be no major contact
marks and the coin will have very attractive eye
appeal with nearly full mint luster. Many
AU-58 coins are passed off as uncirculated (BU)
to the unsuspecting collector.
AU -
About Uncirculated is also know as Almost
Uncirculated.
Abrasion
The
marks or scratches left on a coin when a coin is
slid across a surface or against another coin.
Abrasions can occur from putting coins into
certain coin albums, rubbing two coins together,
sliding them across a desk, etc. While
very light abrasions are harder to detect or are
not as noticeable on well circulated coins, they
can be very detracting on MS type coins.
This is not the same as
bag marks or hairlines.
Accumulation
An
accumulation is often referred to a collection
of coins that may not be of any particular date
or
denomination or
series. Sometimes referred to as a
collection with little numismatic value.
Act of March 3, 1887
See Trade Dollar Redemption Act
Act of July 14, 1890
See
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Act of March 3, 1891
See
Trade Dollar Recoinage Act
AG
Same
as "About Good" in the coin grading scale.
Album
A
holder used by coin collectors to hold coins to
complete
 a
series. Generally, albums provide a
ability to view the front and back of a coin
while a
folder allows only one side.
Album Friction
The
term used to define markings on a coin caused by
the friction of placing a coin in a coin album.
More elaborate folders have holes for coins on a
page where you can see both the
Obverse (front) and
Reverse (back) of the coin. The coin
is held in place by a plastic sheet that slides
over the coin to hold it into place. The
act of sliding the plastic on/off can leave
markings on coins
Alloy
The
mixture of two or more metals blended into one
compound. For example, bronze is really a
mixture of copper, tin and zinc.
Almost
Term
used to describe a coin that is near a
particular grade.
Almost Uncirculated
Same
as About Uncirculated. See Above
Alteration/Altered Date
The
practice of altering a coin to increase its
value by deception. Coins that are
commonly altered are the 1944 D Lincoln to make
it look like a 1914-D, the 1937 D Buffalo Nickel
by rubbing away a leg to make a 3 legged
Buffalo Nickel or rubbing away the "D" on a 1922
penny. Also popular is adding the "D" mint
mark to a 1916 Mercury Dime.
American Eagle
A
series of coins produced by the US Mint starting
in 1986 that depict the original Walking Liberty
Half Dollar design on the obverse and an eagle
and nest on the reverse. The coins are
produced in silver, gold and platinum. The
"Silver Eagle" depicts the original Walking
Liberty Half Dollar design on the obverse and an
eagle on the reverse. It has a face value
of $1.00. The "Gold Eagle" features
Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ full-length figure of
Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in
her right hand and an olive branch in her left.
The reverse features a male eagle carrying an
olive branch flying above a nest containing a
female eagle and her eaglets.
The
gold and platinum come in various sizes.
American Numismatic Association (ANA)
Non-profit organization dedicated to the study
of coins and coin collecting. Known as
A.N.A.
ANACS
One
of the original grading services, it stand for
American Numismatic Association Certification
Service. ANACS was created by the ANA in
1972 and is now owned by Whitman Publishing and
H.E. Harris.
Anvil Die
Anvil
die is the bottom die. When a coin is
produced, it is struck using two dies. One for
the obverse (front) of the coin and another for
the reverse (back). The anvil die is the one on
the bottom, which is usually the reverse. The
term comes from when the die was placed on an
anvil with the coin blank (planchet)
on top. The
hammer die (top die) was placed on top of
the coin and struck with a hammer. See "hammer
die" and "die".
Annealing
Annealing is the process of heating coin blanks,
referred to as
Planchets, to soften the metal just prior to
the striking process.
Appraisal
An opinion offered by a dealer about the value
of a coin or collection.
Artificial Toning
The
process of modifying the toning/appearance of a
coin by heat, chemical or other means to enhance
its appearance by adding attractive coloring.
Some
toning is attractive while some toning is
downright ugly.
Ask Price/Sell Price
The
price a dealer/seller is asking for a coin and
is willing to sell it. Used in dealer to
dealer exchanges rather than retail
transactions.
Assay
The
qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of a
substance, especially of an ore (gold, silver)
or drug, to determine its components. For
precious metals, to determine its purity.
Au
The
symbol for gold from the periodic table of
elements
AU
See
About
Uncirculated
PCGS Coin Collecting News
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