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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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A
B
C
D
E
F G
H I J K L
M N
O
P Q R S
T U V
W X
Y Z
W
Waffled Coins
The
process where the mint destroys defective or
worn coins by running them through a waffling
machine. This canceling process gives the former
coin a waffle like appearance. Coins cancelled
in this manner are sold in bulk for scrap metal
and often can not be distinguished as a US coin,
except by their size.
Walker
Walker is the common short name for the
"Walking Liberty Half dollar".
Walking Liberty Half
The
Walking Liberty Half Dollar was produced from
1916 to 1947 with a design of Liberty walking.
Many will argue that it is one of the most
beautiful coins every produced. Its design
was so popular, that the obverse was repeated on
the current American Silver Eagle series.
Click here
for a History of the Walking Liberty Half
Dollar
War Nickel
Nickels produced from 1942 to 1945 are often
called "war nickels". These nickels of the
Jefferson US five cent coins were made during
part of World War II. Due to the thought
that the metals used to make the nickel would be
needed to produce war materials, a new alloy was
used that consisted of 35% silver, 9% manganese,
and 56% copper. Regular nickels were also
produced in 1942. To distinguish the
difference in these nickels, the mint
produced them with a large mint mark on the
reverse. War nickels produced in
Philadelphia also contained the "P".
Beginning in 1946, the regular alloy was put
back into production. "War Nickels" sell
for a premium over regular nickels of the era
due to their silver content.
As of
this writing they are worth more than five cents
due to their silver content. These "silver war
nickels", as some call them, will have a large
mint mark above the memorial building on the
reverse (back).
Whitman
Whitman Publishing company. Produces many
collector's books, albums, and collecting
supplies.
Whiz, Whizzed, Whizzing
The
process of buffing/polishing a coin to re-create
the appearance of mint luster found on a mint
coin. With whizzing, the the process is
typically done with a fine brush attached to a
high speed drill. Often coins that are
whizzed will show metal build-up around
lettering and/or dates. While whizzing is done
on a high grade coin to try to sell the coin at
a higher grade than it really is, the process
actually takes away value because the coin is no
longer genuine and the process actually takes
away the finesse of the strike by taking away a
small layer of the coins metal.. See
buffing.
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