The Anatomy of A Coin

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Anatomy of a Coin 1 - The Basics - Obverse and Reverse

When we were children, we called the sides of our coins "heads" and "tails." If you want to be taken seriously as a numismatist (person who studies and collects coins), it is time to learn the proper terms to describe your coins. This way, you can talk to other collectors and coin dealers in the special language of coin collecting, and they'll not only understand what you mean, but they'll have a lot more respect for you as a serious numismatist. Have you ever seen a tail on the back of a coin? Neither have I, but most coins actually do have a head. We call the head side of the coin the obverse. The other side, (the one without the tail) is the reverse.

Anatomy of a Coin 2 - The Legend, Inscription, Rim and Field

Let's take a look at the reverse side of a U.S. Lincoln Cent. The first thing to notice is the Legend, also called the Inscription. This is the part of a coin that tells us important things like who made the coin, and how much it is worth. The field is any flat area of the coin that hasn't been raised off of the coin during minting. The portion of the design that has been raised is called the relief. The rim is the upraised part of the coin that runs all the way around the edge of the coin on both sides. The reason for the rim is three-fold: First, it protects the coin's design from wearing out
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too quickly; second, it makes the coins easier to stack, and third, it helps bring up the devices during striking.

Anatomy of a Coin 3 - The Motto, Mint Mark, and Edge

This is the obverse of the U.S. Lincoln Cent. You can see one of the mottos along the top of the coin, "In God We Trust." A motto is a word or phrase that has a special meaning to people, perhaps stirring emotions or inspiring them. Current United States coinage has 3 mottos: "Liberty", "In God We Trust", and "E Pluribus Unum". "E Pluribus Unum" is Latin for "Out of Many, One". Note the edge of the coin: it has a plain, unadorned surface. The edge is the actual side of the coin, and shouldn't be confused with the rim. The mint mark is a letter or symbol that tells us where the coin was minted. Mint marks have appeared on coins since ancient
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Greek and Roman times, and served as a sort of quality-control mark. If the coin was later found to be wrong somehow, such as silver that wasn't pure enough, the King or Caesar would know who to question about this. Today, the mint marks on circulating U.S. coins tell us that the coin was minted in one of the following places: Denver - D San Francisco - S (producing Proof coins only) Philadelphia - P (or sometimes no mint mark) Certain other United States coins, such as gold bullion and proof coins, bear different mint marks than those above.

Anatomy of a Coin 4 - The Portrait, Date, and Designer's Initials

One of the most important parts of a coin's design is its portrait. Most coins have one, including all currently circulating U.S. coins. Portraits on U.S. coins meant for circulation have featured Miss Liberty and former Presidents, but have never featured a living person. This is a major difference between U.S. coinage and that of many other countries, such as England, that have a hereditary monarchy (e.g. a King or Queen as symbolic or literal Head of State.) On their coins the living, reigning Monarch is depicted in the portrait. The date on the coin tells us when the coin was minted. As we saw on the page before this, the letter right below the date is the mint mark. The designer's initials have appeared on most U.S. coins, although they can sometimes be hard to find. Even if you know where they are, you might need a magnifying glass to read them. On the U.S. Lincoln Cent here, the initials are hidden at the base of the portrait in tiny letters; I enlarged them a bit so you can read them. They are "VDB" for Victor David Brenner, the designer of the obverse side of the Lincoln penny which has been in use since 1909. Anatomy of a Coin 5 - The Reeded Edge & Clad Layers

This is a side view of some fairly well-circulated quarters. U.S. dimes, quarters, and half dollars are called clad coins, because layers of different metals have been sandwiched together. When you look at the edge of a modern clad coin, you can see the copper in the middle, with the outer layers of a silver-colored alloy called cupro-nickel on either side. The U.S. began issuing copper/cupro-nickel clad coins in 1968. (Cupro-nickel is just a fancy word meaning the metal is made of copper and nickel mixed together to form an alloy.) Earlier in this tutorial we saw a plain edge on the U.S. Cent. These coins have reeded edges. The same U.S. coins that are clad are also reeded (the dime, quarter, and half dollar).

Anatomy of a Coin 6 - The Proof Coin and the Cameo Portrait

A proof coin is made using a special minting process that results in especially high-quality coins. Proof coins aren't meant for general circulation; they are made for collectors. The proof process has been improved through the years, and one of the features of modern proof coin technology is the cameo portrait. The cameo portrait, (often just called the "cameo"), has a frosted, matte finish that stands out in sharp contrast to the highlypolished, shiny surface of the field. Proof coins haven't always been made this way, so keep in mind that not all proof coins will have a cameo, but all proof coins should have pristine, shiny, mirror-like surfaces and clean, bold designs. The same coins that have reeded edges on their normal, circulating versions will have reeded edges on their proofs. All U.S. coins, proof or circulating, also have a rim. The technical term for this rim is the upset rim because when the coins go through the minting process, the rim is created by the "upsetting" machine. This really just means that the rim is set upward from

the surface of the coin, but now you know a highly technical term to impress your fellow collectors with!

Do You Remember the Coin Terms? Try it Yourself!

Can you name the key parts of this coin, in numismatic terms? Don't forget the proper names for the front and back sides of the coin. If you need help, look back through the tutorial to find your answers. They will be easy to find because they're all on the pictures. Bonus Question: What is the difference between a coin inscription and a motto? When you think you have everything correct, check your answers to this quiz on the next page.

The Keys Parts of a Coin - Quiz Answers

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These are the main parts of the coin: A - Obverse B - Reverse C - Edge D - Rim E - Portrait F - Field G - Mint Mark H - Date Bonus Question: A coin inscription is the wording that tells us important information, such as who minted the coin, who the portrait is of, or how much the coin is worth. A motto is made up of words that are inspirational or emotionally stirring, such as "Liberty" or "In God We Trust".

THE MAIN PARTS OF A COIN

Device or Type: The principal design object (such as portrait or shield) Date: The year(s) shown on a coin, usually the same as the year it was minted Field: Flat, undetailed part of the surface of a coin between the raised designs Legend: The principal inscription on a coin Motto: A word or phrase imprinted on a coin to express a guiding national principle Facing: The direction a portrait looks towards on a coin. Mintmark: A small letter or letters that denote place of mintage or engraver Relief: Any part of a coin design that is raised above the coin's surface Rim: Raised border around the circumference of a coin

Bas Relief: Design elements raised within depressions in the field. Border: Protective periphery either of radial lines or beads within the raised rim of a coin. Conjoined: Joined together, usually used to describe two or more portraits, one behind the other. Denomination: Face value of a coin or paper note; exact monetary value marked and considered legal tender. Edge Lettering: Letters or designs made on the side edge of a coin. Most modern day coins have plain or reeded edges. Exergue: The lower part of a coin or medal, usually divided from the field by a line (an exergual line) and often containing the date, mintmark or engraver's initial(s).

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Face or Obverse side: The front of a coin or currency note, usually the side with signatures, honorary emblems, portraits, etc. Face Value: The value of a coin or paper money as imprinted or marked on that unit. Graining: The teeth at the edge of a coin. Ground: The baseline on which figures or other parts of a coin's design stand. Incuse: The design of a coin which has been impressed below the coin's surface. When the design is raised above the coin's surface it is said to he in relief. Lettered Edge: The narrow edge of a coin bearing an inscription, found on some foreign and older United States coins. Lettering: Any inscription or legend on any part of the coin, including the rim or edge, usully excluding lettering which forms the main design such as a cypher or monogram. Milled Edge: A raised run around the outer surface of a coin. Not to be confused with the reeded or serrated narrow edge of the coin. Plain Edge: The edge or outer border of a coin which is smooth and without any decoration. Reeded Edge: The edge of a coin with grooved lines that run vertically around its perimeter. The edge found on all current United States coins other than cents and nickels. Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_parts_of_a_coin#ixzz1n1 h7Sozb

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Coin Terms - Anatomy of a Coin

Coin terms can be confusing to the novice coin collector and it is important for every new coin collector to learn the meanings of the coin collecting terms most frequently used by coin dealers and other coin collectors. Below you will find the coin terms that are associated with the different coin parts that you will frequently hear when discussing coins and coin collecting with other numismatists. The graphic illustration should help you understand where each coin part is located. You will also find further explanations of the different coin parts below the graphic illustration. Other coin collecting terms are located here.

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Edge - This is the very outside border of a coin. It can be plain (smooth), reeded, or decorated. It can also be lettered as with the Presidential $1 coins. The edge is sometimes referred to as the 'third side' of a coin. The coin in the illustration above (Kennedy Half Dollar) has a reeded edge.

Designer's Initials - The initials of the person who designed the coin are usually on the coin somewhere.

Field - This is the flat surface of a coin that is not being used for the design or inscriptions.

Legend - Also called the Inscription, this is the main lettering on a coin.

Mint Mark - This is a small letter or other symbol that indicates where the coin was minted.

Motto - This is special lettering or inscriptions on a coin that have special meanings to the country of origin. Examples on United States coins include "In God We Trust", "Liberty", and "E Pluribus Unim" (Latin for "Out of Many, One").

Obverse - This is the front or heads side of a coin. The Portrait Design and date are usually on this side.

Portrait - This is usually the main part of the coin's design. In the United States it is usually a president or LIBERTY. In other countries in could be a king or queen.

Relief - This is the part of the coin's design that is raised above the surface.

Reverse - The back of a coin. This is the side that we called tails when we were kids.

Rim - This is the raised portion on both sides of a coin. It goes all the way around the coin and makes it easier to stack the coins as well as protecting the design from wear.

Date - This is the year the coin was released or minted.

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