A grade, abbreviated AG, with very heavy wear but major design elements partly visible.
Words you'll hear in attribution—defined for you
Browse A–Z definitions for die variety vocabulary and terms we use on CopperCoins.
Select a term from the list to read its definition.
About Uncirculated
A grade, abbreviated AU, showing only slight wear on the highest points.
Abrasive Die Polish
Heavy die polishing that can remove or weaken design elements.
Absolute Rarity
Rarity based mainly on the small number of pieces that exist.
Adjustment Marks
File marks made on some early planchets to reduce weight before striking.
Album
A collector storage book with spaces for coins by date, mintmark, or type.
Annealing
The process of heating and cooling metal to soften it before further work.
Artificial Surface
A coin surface that has been altered by cleaning, coating, tooling, or other non-original treatments.
Artificial Toning
Color added or accelerated by chemicals, heat, or other artificial means rather than long natural aging.
Attractive Toning
Natural or market-accepted color that improves a coin’s eye appeal rather than hiding problems.
Attribution
The identification of a coin by date, mint, variety, die, or other specialized classification.
Auction Record
The highest or most notable public sale price recorded for a particular coin or variety.
Authentication
The process of determining whether a coin, note, or token is genuine.
Bag Marks
Contact marks from coins hitting each other in mint bags.
Basining
The process of machining or polishing a die face to a desired contour before or during preparation.
Beading
Small round dots used as a border element near the rim of a coin.
Bicentennial Reverse
One of the four reverse designs used on 2009 Lincoln cents for Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial.
Blank
A plain metal disk before it receives an upset rim and is struck as a coin.
Blanking
The process of punching blank disks from a strip of coinage metal.
Blue Book
A wholesale-oriented United States coin guide, formally Handbook of United States Coins.
Body Bag
Slang for a grading-service rejection pouch or return for a coin that was not encapsulated.
Bonded Coins
Two or more coins stuck together during the striking process.
Brass
An alloy of copper and zinc.
Brilliant Uncirculated
An uncirculated coin with original brightness, often abbreviated BU.
Broadstrike
A coin struck without proper collar restraint, spreading wider than normal.
Brockage
An error where a coin is struck against another coin, leaving an incuse mirror image.
Bronze
An alloy of copper and tin, sometimes with other metals.
Brown
A copper coin color designation for pieces that have fully toned to brown, often abbreviated BN.
Bullion
Precious metal in coin, bar, or round form valued mainly for metal content.
Burnished Coin
A specially prepared coin, often with a satin-like surface, made from burnished blanks.
Business Strike
A coin struck for general circulation rather than for collectors.
Bust
A portrait showing the head and upper shoulders of a person.
Buyer's Premium
An additional percentage charged to the winning bidder on top of the hammer price at auction.
CAC Sticker
A verification sticker indicating that a certified coin meets a review standard for its grade.
Cameo
A proof or prooflike coin with frosted devices contrasting against mirrored fields.
Capped Die Strike
A coin struck by a die cap, often producing a distorted or mushy design.
Carbon Spot
A dark, often round spot of carbon or corrosion on a coin’s surface.
Cartwheel Luster
A rotating band of light seen when an uncirculated coin is tilted.
Certified Coin
A coin authenticated, graded, and encapsulated by a third-party grading service.
Cherrypick
To find a valuable variety, error, or premium coin mixed among ordinary coins.
Cherrypicker
A collector skilled at finding valuable varieties and errors in bulk or unsorted coins.
Choice
A descriptive grade term indicating above-average quality within a grade range.
Circulated
A coin that shows wear from use in commerce.
Circulation Strike
A coin made for normal commerce and everyday use.
Clashed Dies
Dies that struck each other without a planchet between them, leaving design transfer marks.
Class I Hub Doubling
Rotated hub doubling, where the second hubbing is rotated relative to the first.
Class II Hub Doubling
Distorted hub doubling, where design elements are stretched or warped between hubbings.
Class III Hub Doubling
Design hub doubling from using hubs of different designs or modified designs on the same die.
Class IV Hub Doubling
Offset hub doubling, where the second hubbing is shifted in one direction.
Class V Hub Doubling
Pivoted hub doubling, where the second hubbing pivots around a point near the rim.
Cleaning
The alteration of a coin's surface by rubbing, chemicals, or other methods.
Clipped Planchet
A coin made from a blank with part of the metal missing before striking.
Close AM
A Lincoln Memorial reverse style in which the letters A and M in AMERICA are spaced closely together.
Coin
A usually round piece of metal issued by a government as money.
Coin Alignment
Alignment where the reverse appears upside down when the coin is flipped side to side.
Coin Doctoring
Deliberate alteration of a coin’s appearance to improve grade, hide damage, or deceive buyers.
Coinage
Coins collectively, or the process of producing coins.
Coining Press
A machine that strikes planchets between dies to produce coins.
Collar
A ring surrounding the planchet during striking that controls diameter and forms the edge.
Collar Clash
Clash marks transferred from the collar to a die, often visible as rim or reeding impressions.
Collector Value
The market value of a numismatic item based on demand, rarity, grade, and eye appeal.
Common Date
A coin date and mintmark combination that is readily available and usually inexpensive.
Condition Census
A ranked list of the finest known examples of a rare coin, variety, or die.
Conditional Rarity
Rarity based on how scarce a coin is in high grade, even if more common in lower grades.
Conservation
Professional, carefully controlled treatment intended to stabilize or improve a coin’s surface without deceptive alteration.
Contact Marks
Small nicks or abrasions caused by contact with other coins or objects.
Copper
A reddish metal used in many cents and coin alloys.
Corrosion
Surface deterioration, often seen as pitting, roughness, or oxidation.
Counterbrockage
A brockage-related error caused by a previously brockaged coin acting as a die.
Counterstamp
A mark punched onto a coin after it left the mint, often by a merchant or for revalidation.
Crack Out
A certified coin removed from its slab, often for resubmission or sale as a raw coin.
Cud
A raised blank area at the rim caused by a major die break reaching the edge.
Currency
Money in circulation, including coins and paper money.
Curved Clip
A clipped planchet with a curved missing area from overlapping blank punches.
Date
The year appearing on a coin, usually indicating the year of issue or striking.
Date Set
A collection containing one coin from each year in a series.
Date-and-Mint Set
A collection containing each date and mintmark combination in a series.
Deep Cameo
A coin with strong frosted devices and deeply mirrored fields.
Denomination
The face value assigned to a coin or note, such as one cent, five cents, or one dollar.
Denomination Mark
The wording or numeral on a coin that states its face value.
Denticles
Small tooth-like design elements around the inner rim of some coins.
Design Type
A distinctive engraving or hub design used on one side of a coin, separate from mintmark style.
Details Grade
A grade assigned to a coin with a problem such as cleaning, damage, corrosion, or repair.
Device
A main design element on a coin, such as a portrait, eagle, building, or shield.
Die
A hardened metal tool bearing an incuse design used to strike coins.
Die Adjustment Strike
A weakly struck coin made while press pressure was being set or tested, sometimes called a test strike.
Die Alignment
The rotational relationship between the obverse and reverse designs.
Die Break
A larger failure of the die that leaves raised metal on the struck coin.
Die Cap
A coin that sticks to a die and repeatedly strikes other planchets, forming a cap shape.
Die Chip
A small raised blob on a coin caused by a piece breaking away from the die.
Die Clash
A transferred design mark on a coin caused by clashed dies.
Die Crack
A raised line on a coin caused by a crack in the die.
Die Deterioration Doubling
Doubling-like effects caused by a worn or deteriorated die, not by hub doubling.
Die Flow Lines
Lines or texture on a die or struck coin related to metal movement and die wear during production.
Die Gouge
A raised line or mark on a coin caused by a scratch or gouge in the die.
Die Life
The usable period or number of strikes a die can produce before retirement or failure.
Die Marker
A distinctive die chip, crack, polish line, or other feature used to identify a specific die.
Die Marriage
A specific pairing of obverse and reverse dies used to produce coins.
Die Pair
The obverse and reverse dies used together to strike a coin.
Die Pitting
Small pits in a die face that appear as raised bumps on coins.
Die Polish Lines
Fine raised or incuse-looking lines from polishing or abrading a die.
Die Progression
The documented advancement of cracks, chips, and other features across successive die states.
Die Rust
Corrosion on a die surface that can transfer as raised roughness or pits on struck coins.
Die Scratch
A fine raised line on a coin caused by a scratch on the die.
Die Signature
A group of die markers that together identify a particular die or die marriage.
Die Sink
A depressed area in a die face from metal movement or wear, producing raised or distorted areas on coins.
Die Stage
A specific documented point in die deterioration or progression.
Die State
The condition of a die at a particular point in its working life.
Die Subsidence
A sinking or collapsing of the die face that can distort designs on later strikes.
Die Variety
A variety caused by differences in the die used to strike the coin.
Diffused Light
Soft, scattered light used to examine color and overall surfaces without harsh glare.
Discovery Coin
The first recognized example used to establish a new variety or die attribution.
Distended Hub Doubling
Hub doubling that stretches or fattens design elements rather than creating a clear second image.
Double Strike
A coin that was struck more than once by the dies.
Doubled Die
A die variety showing doubled design elements from the die-making process.
Doubled Die Obverse
A doubled die variety visible on the obverse side of the coin.
Doubled Die Reverse
A doubled die variety visible on the reverse side of the coin.
Early Die State
A die condition near the beginning of a die’s life, usually with sharper detail and fewer cracks.
Edge
The outermost side surface of a coin, between the obverse and reverse.
Edge Filing
Metal removed from a coin’s edge by filing.
Ejection Marks
Contact marks made when a struck coin is ejected from the press.
Emission Sequence
The order in which die states or die marriages were produced during a die’s working life.
Environmental Damage
Surface damage caused by moisture, soil, chemicals, or other exposure.
Error Coin
A coin with an unintended mistake from the minting process.
Exergue
The lower portion of a coin design, often separated from the main design and containing a date or inscription.
Extremely Fine
A grade, abbreviated XF or EF, with light wear on the highest points.
Eye Appeal
The overall visual attractiveness of a coin.
Face Value
The stated monetary value printed or struck on a coin or note.
Fair
A low grade, abbreviated FR, with heavy wear but slightly more detail than Poor.
Feeder Finger Marks
Marks left when feeding machinery contacts a planchet or coin before, during, or after striking.
Field
The flat open area of a coin around the main design and lettering.
Filled Die
A die with grease, debris, or foreign matter filling design recesses, causing weak or missing details.
Fine
A grade, abbreviated F, with moderate to heavy wear and clear major details.
Fingerprints
Residue patterns left by skin oils on a coin, which may later tone into visible marks.
Flip
A small two-pocket holder, often made of plastic or cardboard, used for individual coins.
Flipover Double Strike
A double strike in which the coin flips over between strikes so both sides show overlapping designs.
Flow Lines
Microscopic metal-flow ridges created during striking; they produce a coin’s cartwheel luster.
Folder
A simple coin storage board or book with labeled holes for a coin series.
Full Red
A copper coin color designation for pieces retaining nearly all original mint red, often abbreviated RD.
Full Strike
A coin with sharp, complete detail from proper striking.
Galvano
A metal electroform of a coin design model used in traditional die-reduction processes.
Gem
A high-grade coin, often used for Mint State or Proof coins around 65 or higher.
Genuine Only
A certification result that authenticates a coin without assigning a numeric grade.
Good
A grade, abbreviated G, showing heavy wear but a clear date and major outlines.
Grade
A measure of a coin's condition, usually expressed on a numerical or adjectival scale.
Greysheet
A wholesale pricing publication for United States coins, formally the Coin Dealer Newsletter.
Hairlines
Fine scratches, often from cleaning or mishandling, visible on a coin's surface.
Hammer Price
The winning bid amount recognized by the auctioneer before buyer’s premium.
Harshly Cleaned
A coin with obvious abrasive cleaning that damages the surface.
High Points
The raised areas of a coin design that usually show wear first.
High Relief
A coin design struck with unusually raised design elements.
Hoard
A group of coins or currency accumulated and later discovered or released.
Holder
Any container used to store or display a coin.
Hub
A metal tool with a raised design used to impress a design into a die.
Hub Doubling
Doubling created when a hub impresses a die more than once out of exact register during die manufacture.
Incuse
A design sunken into the surface rather than raised above the field.
Indent
An error where another blank or coin partly covers the planchet during striking.
Interior Die Break
A die break located away from the rim, creating raised metal within the design or field.
Intrinsic Value
The value of the metal or material contained in a coin, separate from collector value.
Janvier Lathe
A reducing lathe historically used to cut a hub or die from a larger galvano or model.
Key Date
A scarcer or more valuable date in a coin series that is difficult to obtain.
Knife Rim
A sharp or blade-like rim formed when metal is extruded during striking.
Lamination
A planchet flaw caused by separation or peeling of the metal surface.
Lamination Error
A coin with peeling, flaking, or missing metal caused by a defective planchet.
Lapping
Abrasive polishing of a die face that can remove clash marks, scratches, or shallow design detail.
Large Date
A date style with larger numerals than another date style used in the same year, such as 1960 or 1970 Large Date cents.
Late Die State
A die condition late in a die’s life, often showing heavier cracks, wear, or deterioration.
Legal Tender
Money that a government recognizes as valid for payment of debts.
Legend
The main inscription around the coin, often including the country name or motto.
Lettered Edge
An edge carrying letters, words, numbers, or symbols.
Loupe
A small magnifier used to examine coins, commonly 5x or 10x.
Low Relief
A coin design with shallow raised elements, often easier to strike fully.
Luster
The reflective quality produced by microscopic flow lines from striking.
Machine Doubling
Flat, shelf-like doubling caused by die movement during striking, not a doubled die.
Major Variety
A well-known variety that is widely collected and often listed in major guides.
Market Grading
Grading that considers how a coin is likely to be valued in the marketplace.
Master Die
A negative die made from a master hub and used to make working hubs.
Master Die Doubling
Doubling that originates on a master die and can be transferred to many working dies.
Master Hub
A positive tool used in the die-making process to create master dies.
Matte Proof
A proof coin with a fine-grained, non-mirror surface.
Medal Alignment
Alignment where the obverse and reverse are oriented the same way when flipped side to side.
Melt Value
The value of a coin based only on the metal it contains.
Memorial Reverse
The Lincoln Memorial reverse used on cents from 1959 through 2008.
Mid Die State
A die condition between early and late stages of die wear or deterioration.
Minor Variety
A smaller or less widely collected die difference.
Mint
A facility that manufactures coins.
Mint Mark Type
A distinctive mintmark punch profile—shape, size, and style—used on branch-mint dies.
Mint State
An uncirculated grade, abbreviated MS, ranging from MS-60 to MS-70.
Mintage
The number of coins struck for a particular issue.
Mintmark
A letter or symbol identifying the mint where a coin was struck.
Misaligned Die
An error where one die is out of proper alignment, shifting one side of the design.
Missing Mintmark
A coin that should show a mintmark but does not, either from a filled die, abrasion, or a true die without a mintmark.
Motto
A phrase appearing on a coin, such as IN GOD WE TRUST or E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Mule
A coin struck from dies not intended to be paired together.
Multiple Strike
A coin struck two or more times.
Net Grade
An adjusted grade reflecting both wear and a coin's problems.
Nickel
A metal and also the common name for the United States five-cent coin.
No D
A descriptive term for certain 1922 Lincoln cents struck from dies that left little or no visible D mintmark.
No Grade
A grading-service determination that a coin will not receive a numeric grade because of a problem.
Numismatics
The study and collecting of coins, paper money, tokens, medals, and related objects.
Numismatist
A person who studies, collects, buys, sells, or researches numismatic items.
Obverse
The front or main side of a coin, usually showing a portrait or principal design.
Obverse Design Type
A specific obverse engraving identified as its own design type within a series.
Obverse Die
The die that strikes the obverse side of a coin.
Off-Center Strike
A coin struck outside the collar or not centered between the dies.
Orange Peel Surface
A pebbled or textured surface on a die or coin caused by die fatigue or heat-related deterioration.
Original Surface
A coin surface that has not been cleaned, altered, or artificially enhanced.
Over Mintmark
A mintmark punched over a different mintmark.
Overdate
A date digit punched or hubbed over a different date digit.
Partial Collar
An error where the planchet is only partly seated in the collar during striking.
Patina
A surface film or coloration that develops with age, especially on copper or bronze.
Pattern
An experimental or proposed coin design struck for evaluation, not for regular circulation.
Pedigree
A documented connection of a coin to a notable collection, owner, or sale.
Pinkish Red
A descriptive color term for copper coins retaining substantial original red color with a pink cast.
Plain Edge
A smooth coin edge without reeds, lettering, or ornamentation.
Planchet
The blank metal disk from which a coin is struck.
Plate Coin
A coin photographed or illustrated as the reference example for a variety or die.
Plug
A repair in which a hole or damaged area is filled with metal, then disguised.
Poor
A very low grade, usually abbreviated PO, where only the basic type may be identifiable.
Pop Report
A grading-service population report showing how many coins have been graded in each grade.
Population
The number of examples reported in a specific grade by a grading service or census.
Portrait
The image of a person shown on a coin or medal.
Premium
The amount paid above face value or melt value for a collectible or bullion item.
Price Guide
A published or online reference listing market values for coins by date, mint, and grade.
Private Treaty
A sale negotiated directly between parties rather than through public auction bidding.
Privy Mark
A small special mark added to a coin design to denote a program, anniversary, or issue.
Problem Coin
A coin with damage, cleaning, corrosion, repair, or another issue that affects marketability.
Proof
A specially made coin struck for collectors using polished dies and prepared planchets.
Prooflike
A coin with mirrorlike fields resembling a proof, though not necessarily made as a proof.
Provenance
The ownership history of a numismatic item.
PVC Damage
Sticky green or gray residue and etching caused by polyvinyl chloride plastic holders.
Quadrupled Die
A die variety showing four impressions of design elements from multiple hubbings.
Ragged Clip
A clip with an irregular edge, often caused by metal strip problems.
Rainbow Toning
Vivid multi-color toning, often with blues, magentas, and golds.
Raking Light
Light directed across a coin at a low angle to reveal texture, marks, and doubled details.
Rarity
The relative scarcity of a coin, variety, token, or note.
Raw Coin
A coin that has not been certified and encapsulated by a third-party grading service.
Red Book
A popular annual guide to United States coins, formally A Guide Book of United States Coins.
Red Brown
A copper coin color designation for pieces with mixed original red and brown, often abbreviated RB.
Reeded Edge
An edge with vertical grooves, common on many dimes, quarters, and half dollars.
Registry Set
An online competitive set of certified coins ranked by grade and completion.
Rehelder
The process of removing a certified coin from one holder and placing it in another.
Relief
The height of the raised design above the coin's field.
Repunched Date
A date showing evidence that one or more digits were punched more than once.
Repunched Mintmark
A mintmark showing evidence of being punched into a die more than once.
Restrike
A coin struck from original or copy dies after the official period of issue.
Retained Cud
A die break where the broken die piece remains partly in place.
Reverse
The back side of a coin, usually showing a secondary design, denomination, or national emblem.
Reverse Design Type
A specific reverse engraving identified as its own design type within a series.
Reverse Die
The die that strikes the reverse side of a coin.
Rim
The raised border around the obverse or reverse of a coin.
Rim Dent
A depression in the rim caused by impact.
Rim Filing
Metal removed from a coin’s rim, often to hide damage or reduce weight.
Rim Nick
A small chip or cut in the rim.
Rolling Mill
Equipment used to roll metal strips to the proper thickness for coin blanks.
Rotated Reverse
A coin whose reverse is rotated from its normal alignment.
Saddle Strike
An error with two overlapping off-center strikes, often leaving an unstruck raised ridge between them.
Satin Finish
A smooth, non-mirror finish with soft luster.
Security Edge
An edge design intended to discourage counterfeiting or clipping.
Semi-Key Date
A coin date or mintmark that is scarcer than common issues but not the rarest in the series.
Series
A group of related coins sharing the same denomination and general design over a period of years.
Set-up Piece
A coin struck while adjusting dies or press settings before full production resumes.
Shattered Die
A die with extensive cracking that may soon fail completely, producing dramatic cracks or cuds on coins.
Sheldon Scale
The 1-to-70 numerical grading scale commonly used for United States coins.
Sight Unseen
A transaction made without the buyer personally inspecting the coin, often based on certification and images.
Silver
A precious metal historically used in many circulating coins.
Slab
A hard plastic holder used by third-party grading services to encapsulate a certified coin.
Small Date
A date style with smaller numerals than another date style used in the same year, such as 1960 or 1970 Small Date cents.
Smoothing
Abrading a coin’s surface to reduce marks or damage
Spalling
Flaking or chipping of the die face that leaves irregular raised patches on struck coins.
Specimen Strike
A specially prepared coin with qualities between regular business strikes and proofs.
Straight Clip
A clipped planchet with a straight missing edge from the end or side of a metal strip.
Strike
The impression made when dies press a design into a planchet.
Strike Doubling
Another term commonly used for machine doubling caused during the strike.
Strike Quality
The sharpness and completeness of design detail from the minting process.
Striking Pressure
The force used by a coining press to impress the design into the planchet.
Struck Through
A coin struck while foreign material was between the die and planchet.
Struck Through Grease
A weak or missing design area caused by grease or debris in the die.
Superb Gem
An exceptional high-grade coin, often around 67 or higher depending on context.
Survival Rate
The estimated percentage of originally made pieces that still exist.
Target Toning
Toning that forms concentric rings of color, often from storage in albums or rolls.
Technical Grading
Grading focused mainly on wear, marks, and surface preservation.
Terminal Die State
The final usable condition of a die before retirement, often heavily cracked or deteriorated.
Third-Party Grading
Authentication and grading performed by an independent professional grading company.
Toning
Natural or artificial color change on a coin's surface caused by chemical reactions.
Tooling
Engraving or scraping a coin’s surface to strengthen detail, remove marks, or create fake features.
Top Pop
A coin in the highest grade reported for that issue in a grading-service population report.
Transitional Variety
A variety created when a design element from one period is used in another, such as a mismatched reverse.
Tripled Die
A die variety showing three impressions of design elements from multiple hubbings.
Type Coin
A coin collected as an example of a design type rather than by date and mintmark.
Type One Blank
A blank disk punched from coinage strip that has not yet received an upset rim.
Type Set
A collection containing one example of each major coin design or denomination type.
Type Two Blank
A blank that has been through the upsetting mill and has a raised rim, ready for striking.
Uncirculated
A coin with no wear from circulation.
Uniface Strike
A coin struck with design on only one side, often because another blank or die obstruction blocked the opposite die.
Union Shield
The reverse design introduced on Lincoln cents in 2010, featuring a heraldic shield.
Upset Rim
The raised outer edge formed on a blank before striking.
Upsetting Mill
Equipment that raises the rim on a blank before striking.
Variety
A coin with identifiable design or die differences from other coins of the same issue.
Variety Attribution
The process of identifying a coin’s specific variety, die, or die marriage.
VDB
The initials of designer Victor David Brenner, used especially for early Lincoln cents that show V.D.B. on the reverse.
Verdigris
Green corrosion commonly associated with copper or bronze coins.
Very Fine
A grade, abbreviated VF, with moderate wear and many details still visible.
Very Good
A grade, abbreviated VG, with heavy wear and some major detail remaining.
Weak Strike
A coin that did not receive full design detail during striking.
Wear
Loss of metal or detail from handling, circulation, or friction.
Wheat Ears
The reverse design of Lincoln cents from 1909 to 1958, featuring two wheat stalks.
Whizzing
Artificial alteration that uses a wire brush or similar tool to simulate mint luster on a worn coin.
Wide AM
A Lincoln Memorial reverse style in which the letters A and M in AMERICA are spaced farther apart.
Wire Rim
A thin, raised fin of metal at the rim caused by metal squeezing between die and collar.
Woodgrain
Streaky planchet texture or toning on copper coins resembling wood grain, often from impure alloy mix.
Working Die
A production die used to strike coins for circulation, collectors, or bullion sales.
Working Hub
A positive hub used to make working dies.
Wrong Planchet
A coin struck on a planchet intended for another denomination or issue.
Wrong Stock
A coin struck on metal strip of the wrong thickness or composition.
Zinc
A metal used as the core of modern United States cents since 1982.