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Adjustment Marks: File marks which appear mostly on pre-1807 silver and gold coinage. These were made at the mint in order to reduce the weight of a coin so that its metal value wouldn't exceed its face value. |
| ANACS: Originally the abbreviation for American Numismatic Association Certification Service; now independently owned. |
| Bagmarks: Abrasions which occur on coins that were shipped in mint bags. Most often this term applies to mint state silver dollars. |
| Cameo: A proof or prooflike coin with exceptional contrast between the mirrorlike fields and frosty devices. |
| Carbon Spot: A dark discoloration on the surface of a coin. |
| Cartwheel Luster: When the coin is tilted back and forth, light seem to shimmer over the surface of the coin. |
| Choice: An adjective equivalent to certified Mint State (MS) -63 or Proof (PR or PF) -63 coins. |
| Clashed Dies: Extraneous design detail appearing on a coin as a result of two dies having previously come together without a planchet between them during the minting process. |
| Devices: The main design features of a coin, such as Liberty's head. |
| Die Cracks: Raised lines which appear on a coin as a result of that coin having been struck from a cracked die. |
| DMPL: Abbreviation for Deep Mirror Prooflike. |
| Eye-Appeal: The special beauty of a coin. |
| Field: The flat part of a coin's surface. |
| Gem: An adjective equivalent to certified Mint State (MS) -65 or Proof (PR or PF) -65 coins. |
| Hairline: A thin, shallow scratch on the surface of a coin, often caused by improper cleaning, or mishandling. |
| Iridescent: Rainbow toning over natural luster. |
| Lamination: A planchet flaw where a thin strip of the metal separates itself from the surface of a coin. |
| Lint Mark: A characteristic which occurs mostly on proof coins as a result of a tiny piece of lint or fiber on the die or planchet during the striking process. This creates an incused mark on the coin. |
| Mint State: A coin which has never circulated. Thus, the coin has no wear. All mint state coins have some imperfections if you study them hard enough. |
A system of grading originally introduced by Dr. William H. Sheldon, was adapted to all coins and is used today by all of the grading services. Numerical grades I through 70 correspond to various descriptive grades as follows:
Poor (P) -1
Fair (FA) -2
Almost Good (AG) -3
Good (G) -4,6
Very Good (VG) -8, 10
Fine (F) -12,15
Very Fine (VF) -20,25,30,35
Extremely Fine (XF) -40,45
Almost Uncirculated (AU) -50, 55, 58
Mint State (MS) - 60 (Average), 61, 62 (Select), 63 (Choice), 64, 65 (Gem), 66 (Superb), 67, 68, 69, 70 (Perfect) |
| Obverse: The front, or "heads" side of a coin. Usually the side with the date. |
| PL: Abbreviation for Prooflike. A coin struck for general circulation which has a somewhat mirror-like surface, similar to a brilliant proof. |
| PQ: An abbreviation for "Premium Quality," a term which describes the very finest coins which fall into a particular numerical grade. |
| Population (or Census): The number of coins that have been certified to date in particular grades by PCGS and NGC, respectively. |
Proof: A coin which was made with special care, exclusively for collectors or investors and not struck for general circulation. Generally, proof coins are struck more than once on specially selected and polished planchets, using polished dies. Proof coins are graded using the Sheldon scale, such as:
Proof (PF or PR) - 60 (Average), 61, 62 (Select), 63 (Choice), 64, 65 (Gem), 66 (Superb), 67, 68, 69, 70 (Perfect) |
| Red & Brown: Abbreviated RB. A term used to describe mint state (and sometimes proof) copper coins which have started to turn brown, but still show some of their original mint red. |
| Reverse: The back or "tails" side of a coin. |
| Satiny Luster: Sensuous, velvety original "mint bloom." |
| Toning (or Patina): The coloring which has formed on the surface of a coin as a result of the metal's interaction with outside elements.
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