Coin Descriptions 101

Even to this day I still do not consider myself a coin collector. Sure I have coins from 70+ countries, and also domestic coinage back to the early 1800s, but I don't go out of my way to make purchases or hunt down specimens I don't own. What I have I have, if I get others well that's okay too. Granted, a few people who know me might differ with my opinion :)

But even as a novice to any hobby that might involve found currency, it would be nice to know what you're looking at. And even if you don't, to at least be able to describe what you are seeing so others can help. With that in mind I decided to make my own little "Guide to Correctly Describing Your Coin." Things like this have been done in print and on the web, but I know I get enough readers that if at least one person appreciates my effort, it's worth it. So let's get started.

Obverse & Reverse

When you flip a coin, what is the first thing you ask? "Heads or tails?" Ever ask yourself why you say that? According to Wikipedia, "in 1870, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable describes heads in a similar way and details tails as being the opposite and obvious reverse to heads. The expression 'can't make head nor tail of it' expresses this concept of opposites." Technically though, the two sides of a coin (along with a host of other things like flags, printed fabric, art, drawings, medals) are known as the obverse (heads) and reverse (tails). Simple as that.

The Image: Portrait, Relief, Field

Generally the first thing on any coin you notice is the large image that is usually in the center of both the obverse and reverse. On the obverse side of the coin, which in the US usually (but have not always) depict a deceased President, the large image is known as the "Portrait." For obvious reasons. On the reverse side, the image is known as the "relief." Now, technically, the relief is any portion of the coin raised above the "field." The field is any and all parts of the coin that are blank, flat, and smooth... which in turn means they were not raised to become part of the relief.

In the image, the purple areas are the field, while on the obverse, the red tinted area is the portrait, and on the reverse, it is the relief.

Rims & Edges

Rims and edges are easy. The "rim" is the area on the both sides of the coin, closest to the edge, that is raised. It's supposed to help slow the wear of the actual coin surfaces, and make the coins easier to stack. The "edge" of the coins is what you see when you turn the coin on it's side. On pennies and nickels, the edge is smooth... on dimes and quarters, it's reeded. On our new dollar coins, the edge actually has printed words on it, which is kind of neat.

In the image of the dime, the rim is highlighted in green, whereas the edges are plainly visible on the graphic from the Presidential dollar series.

The Words: Legend, Motto, Mint Mark, Date, Designer Initials

At some point in your life, I'm sure you've take a moment to look at and read the rest of the coin. But what do all the words, symbols, and numbers really mean? The first thing we'll discuss is the "legend." The legend is part of the coin that tells you where the coin is from and how much it's worth. On most US coinage, the legend is on the obverse. The parts around the rim that say "United States of America" and "X Cents"... those would be considered the legend. Similarly, on both sides of the coin, you will see words and/or sayings like, "Liberty", or "E Pluribus Unum." These are what is known as "Mottos." Mottos are there to instill inspiration by using words that have some higher meaning to the masses. "In God We Trust" is also a common motto on US currency.

In the image, the legend is in orange, the mottos are in green.

Two items that go together are the "date" and "mint mark." Both of these are used as tracking devices, for lack of a better term. The date is obvious, it lets you know which year the coin was minted. The mint mark however, can confuse some. Currently, you might see any one of three mint marks on US coinage: D, P or S. These marks are quality control measures so one could track the coin back to the facility it was minted at. So for D marks, these are from the Denver Mint, P (or no mint mark) means the coin came from Philadelphia, and the S is for San Francisco, where proofs are minted. Mint marks can be hard to find on some coins unless you know where to look. On my examples you can see that all the mint marks are on the coins obverse. Older coins may have them in much more obscure places.

In the image the date is quite obvious, the mint mark is in red.

If you thought the mint mark was hard to find, then finding the "Designer's Initials" is going to be tough. These are usually a very small grouping of letters on the coin that identify who designed it. Two very common ones that come to mind are the VDB (Victor David Brenner) that is on the Lincoln Portrait pennies, and then on the Mercury dimes obverse, is an "AW" (for Adolph Weinman) monogram that many newbies to the hobby often confuse with a mint mark and wonder where the coin came from that starts with a "W". It's best to do an online search to find out where they are on the coin you are looking at. But like, on the pennies, the VDB is on the left boundary of Lincolns bust, on the dimes, it is between the date and the tip of the bust, on the newer Jefferson nickels, on the front there are two, one for the designer and one for the engraver... one if in the lower right of the portrait, the other the lower left, higher up the neck... however on the Monticello side, the marks is on the far right side of the relief.