Help:Numismatic Terms 0-Z

O
obol: Greek denomination equal to one-sixth drachma.

obsolete bank note: Note of an American bank of issue prior to 1865; a more accurate term than "broken" bank note, since many note-issuing banks converted into national banks or liquidated without failing. See also bank note.

obverse: The side of a numismatic item which bears the principal design or device, often as prescribed by the issuing authority. In paper money, this is called the face. In slang, the obverse is the "heads" side.

offset: Printing method in which a metallic plate places an ink impression on an elastic blanket and is then transferred to the paper. Also, a term sometimes used to describe a blanket impression paper money error.

OPA token: A cardboard fiber token issued in the United States by the Office of Price Administration in 1944 during World War II. They were used to make change for meat and processed food coupons (to keep track of ration points awarded each family during periods of rationing). They were issued in red and blue versions. Both sides of the OPA token depicts a numeral 1 flanked by two small initials. See also token.

overdate The date made by a Mint engraver superimposing one or more numbers over the date on a previously dated die.

P
paper money: Printed monetary instruments. Modern collectors may be challenged for a new term as nations experiment with plastics and other materials for their printed currency.

patina: The surface quality that a coin acquires over time as the metal reacts with the environment.

pattern: Coin-like pieces designed to test proposed coin designs, mottoes or denominations proposed for adoption as a regular issue, struck in the metal to be issued for circulation and which were not adopted, at least in year of pattern issue. Do not use as a generic term describing experimental pieces and trial pieces.

pieces of eight: Popular term for silver Spanish 8-real pieces; often associated with pirate treasure.

piefort: A piece struck on a planchet twice or more the normal thickness. The French spelling used in Europe is piedfort.

pioneer gold: Gold coins, often privately produced, struck in areas of the United States to meet the needs of a coin shortage, generally in traditional U.S. denominations. The U.S. Assay Office coins of California official coinage struck before the establishment of the San Francisco Mint are part of the series. Also known as private gold and territorial gold.

planchet, blank: The disc of metal or other material on which the dies of the coin, token or medal are impressed; also called blank, disc, flan. In paper money, a small colored disc embedded in the paper used as an anti-counterfeiting device.

plaster: (See model.)

plasticene: Synthetic modelling clay.

PNC: Abbreviation of philatelic-numismatic combination (or cover). A combination of a coin, medal, token or other numismatic item inserted into an envelope that is postmarked on a special occasion, such as the release of a new postage stamp. The numismatic item (or numis) is generally visible through a window in the envelope.

postage note: The First Issue fractional note series.

postal note: Forerunner of the postal money order, issued by the U.S. Post Office.

Prestige Proof set: A special U.S. Proof set, commemorating regular Proof coins plus commemorative coins of that year. Offered first in 1983 with 1983-S Olympic silver dollar; also offered in 1984 (with 1984-S Olympic dollar) and 1986 (with 1986-S Immigrant half dollar and 1986-S Ellis Island dollar).

privy mark: Small device used on coinage often commemorative in nature, similar to Mint mark in placement, but not indicative of Mint of origin.

Proof: A coin struck on specially-prepared planchets on special presses to receive the highest quality strike possible, especially for collectors. For paper money, a print made to test the plate, analogous to a die trial strike in coinage.

Proof set: A set of one Proof coin of each current denomination issued by a recognized Mint for a specific year. See "Prestige Proof set."

prooflike: An Uncirculated coin having received special minting treatment and a mirror surface for the benefit of collectors, with minor imperfections due to the minting process permissible.

Q
quarter eagle: A gold $2.50 coin of the United States. See also eagle.

R
rare: A comparative term denoting a high degree of scarcity. Often modified adverbially, e.g., very rare or extremely rare; or modified by the use of figures, e.g., R4 or R7. There is no universally accepted scale of rarity.

Red Book: Nickname given to A Guide Book of United States Coins, an annually published price guide. The cover is red, hence the nickname. Gives retail prices, or what dealers might charge for U.S. coins.

reeded edge: The result of a minting process which creates vertical serrations on the edge of a coin.

relief: Raised. In coinage and medallic numismatic items, a relief design is raised above the surface of the field. Sometimes called bas--relief. Opposite of incuse and intaglio.

replica: A copy of the original, a facsimile. A reproduction.

restrike: A numismatic item produced from original dies at a later date; in the case of a coin usually not with a view to meeting monetary requirements but to fill a demand for a numismatic rarity.

reverse: The side opposite to that on which the head or principal figure is impressed. The side opposite from the obverse. On paper money this is called the back.

rim: Raised border around the circumference of a coin, not to be confused with the edge.

S
scarce: Not common, but not as uncommon as rare.

screw press early hand-operated machine for striking coins.

scrip: Paper currency usually of denominations less than $1 issued as substitutes for currency to private persons or organizations. Tokens issued by coal mines and sutlers also are called scrip.

scripophily: The study and science of collecting financial documents, including stock certificates, shares, government and private bonds, and checks. A student of scripophily is a scripophilist.

seal: A device placed on paper money indicating authority of issue. Modern Federal Reserve notes have two seals, a green Department of Treasury seal and a black Fed seal.

seigniorage: The profits resulting from the difference between the cost to make a coin and its face value, or its worth as money and legal tender. Most coins cost less to make than their face value; when it becomes too expensive to make a certain coin, size, weight and composition are often changed.

serial number: Number used chiefly on paper money and sometimes on limited-issue medals to indicate order of production.

series: Related coinage of the same denomination, design and type, including modifications, or varieties, of design. The Lincoln/Wheat Ears cents of 1909 to 1958 represent a complete series.

sestertius: An ancient Roman coin; plural, sestertii.

shekel, sheqel: Shekel is a silver coin of ancient Judea of various weights; sheqel is modern Israeli denomination, plural "sheqalim."

silver certificate: Authorized by the Acts of Feb. 28, 1878, and Aug. 4, 1886. Were redeemable in silver coin, and in early to mid1960s, silver bullion. No longer produced, but all specimens remain legal tender although the notes can no longer be redeemed in silver.

slab: Popular nickname for certain kinds of protective coin encapsulation methods, especially those that are permanently sealed and rectangular.

slug: A term applied to the $50 gold coin issued by various private Mints in California from 1851 to 1855 occurring in both round and octagonal shapes, or to tokens manufactured expressly for use in certain coin-operated machines.

small date: A variety of coin on which the date is physically smaller than other varieties of the same year. Similar varieties include medium date and large date.

so-called dollar: A silver dollar-sized medal commemorating a special event.

souvenir card: Popular collectible item, usually well-printed on heavy paper using an engraving used on paper money. They also contain information of a historical or commemorative nature.

Souvenir Mint sets: An issue of the U.S. Mint, containing the coinage of one Mint. It is generally sold only at the Mint represented by the coins.

Special Mint sets (SMS): Coins produced under special conditions by the United States Mint at San Francisco during the years 1965, 1966 and 1967. Coins have no Mint marks.

specie: In the form of coin, especially precious metal coin; paper money redeemable in coin. From Latin meaning "in kind"; see also fiat money.

star notes: Mainly intended as replacements for notes that were damaged or produced with errors or mistakes at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. On modern Federal Reserve notes, a solid star appears at the end of the serial number; on earlier notes, the star appears at the beginning of the number. Until the 1980s, star notes were also used to represent the 100 millionth note since the serial numbering machinery has only eight digits.

starter page: is a wiki page created to start a topic. It entails creating a page and can include an introductory sentence, initial template, and basic categories.

state coinages or notes: Refers to coins issued by one of four state governments (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont) between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution when the states' rights to issue coins were suspended. Among paper money, refers to notes issued between Declaration of Independence and Civil War by state governments. See also Colonial.

stater: Greek coin equal to two drachms or didrachm, or 12 obols.

Stella: A gold $4 pattern never issued for circulation. Also struck in other metals.

sterling silver: Silver that is .925 fine; in Israel, .935 fine silver. From the British standard "pound sterling."

store card: A token bearing a business name and/or address, and often intended as a local or adhoc medium of exchange as well as an advertisement for the issuer.

strike: The act of impressing the image of a die into a planchet, making a coin. The quality of strike is important when determining the amount of wear on a coin.

strip: Rolls of coinage metal to be punched into planchets.

surcharge: An extra charge placed on an item, the revenue of which is usually earmarked for a specific fund. It has been the recent practice of the United States Congress to place a surcharge on commemorative coins, sometimes to benefit a worthy organization.

syngraphics: The study of printed currency and related items; from "syngraph," a writing signed by all parties to a contract or bond.

T
token: Usually a piece of durable material appropriately marked and unofficially issued for monetary, advertising, services or other purposes.

Trade dollar: A silver dollar coin produced for overseas markets. The United States issued a Trade dollar between 1873-85 for use in the Orient. Great Britain also issued a trade dollar. Also used incorrectly to refer to Canadian trade tokens of $1 nominal value.

Treasury note: Sometimes called a coin note. Issued under the Act of July 14, 1890. Redeemable in silver and gold coins.

tree coinage: Silver coins issued by the Massachusetts Colony in three forms: Willow Tree, Oak Tree and Pine Tree. Issued between 1652-82 although all but one are dated 1652.

Trends: A market value guide based on averages derived from auction results, dealer advertisements, price lists and other sources. Represents a guide, not firm buying or selling prices.

tribute penny: A silver denarius of the Roman emperor Tiberius.

trime: Unofficial nickname given to the silver 3-cent coin. Formed by combining "tri" and the last two letters of "dime."

troy ounce (oz t) is a unit of imperial measure. In the present day it is most commonly used to gauge the mass of precious metals.

type coin is a representative coin from a given series.

type set: A collection composed of one of each coin of a given series or period.

U
U.S. Gold: Marketing name for American Arts Gold Medallions.

Uncirculated set: Set of coins issued by the U.S. Mint, consisting of one of each coin issued for circulated. Also called Uncirculated Mint set, or unofficially, a Mint set.

uncut sheet: Refers to the 32-note (or 32-subject) sheets of Federal Reserve notes being sold by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The 16-note and four-note sheets being sold are cut partial sheets, although they are often referred to as uncut sheets. Earlier sheets of U.S. paper money came with different numbers of notes.

uniface: Having a design on one side only.

unique: Extant in only one known specimen. Very often misused, as in "semi-unique."

United States note: A specific type of note first authorized in 1862 and called legal tender notes; name officially changed to United States notes in July 1873. By law, $346,681,016 in United States notes must be kept in circulation. The term United States note is not a generic term for all forms of U.S. paper money.

upsetting mill: A machine that squeezes planchets so that they have a raised rim, in preparation for striking.

V
VAM: A series of catalog numbers, named after numismatic historians Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis, which is used in US numismatics to document minting varieties of Morgan and Peace dollars.

vectures: Transportation tokens.

vecturist: A collector who specializes in transportation tokens.

vignette: A pictorial element of a bank note design that shades off gradually into the surrounding unprinted paper or background rather than having sharp outlines or a frame.

W
want list: A list given by a collector to a dealer listing items the collector needs for a collection. The dealer keeps the want list and attempts to purchase items listed on it for the collector.

watermark: Design formed by differing thickness of paper during production; often used as security device in paper money.

whizzing: The severe polishing of a coin in an attempt to improve its appearance and salability to the uninformed. A form of alteration regarded as misleading by the numismatic community, and which actually lowers the value of the coin.

widow's mite: An ancient Jewish lepton denomination coin of the time of Christ.

wikilog: a log created by a wiki user on a user page.

wire rim: Slight flange on coins or medals caused by heavy striking pressure, often characteristic on Proof coins. The metal is squeezed up the side of the die faces by the collar die. Sometimes incorrectly called wire edge. See also rim.

wooden nickels: Originally, substitute for coins first used in the 1931-35 depression, having originated in Tenino, Wash. Issued in round or rectangular form and in many denominations. Currently used for advertising and souvenir purposes.

working die: A metal punch that is used to impress images into coins; wrong-reading. See also die.

working hub: A metal punch used to produce "working dies"; right-reading. See also die and hub.

Y
year set: A set of coins for any given year, generally containing one specimen of each coin from each Mint issued for circulation, and packaged privately, not by the government.