| Racketeer nickel | A gold-plated 1883 No “CENTS” Liberty Head five-cent coin (“V” nickel). Legend has it that a deaf-mute gold-plated these unfamiliar coins and would use them as legal tender. Sometimes, he was given change for a five-dollar gold piece since the V on the reverse could be interpreted as either five cents or five dollars! They have also been gold-plated since that time to sell to collectors. |
| Rainbow toning | Toning which is usually seen on silver dollars stored in bags. A full spectrum of colors are represented, beginning with yellow, then green, to red, to blue, and sometimes even black. |
| Rare | 1. A relative term indicating that a coin within a series is very difficult to find. |
| | 2. A coin with only a few examples known. |
| | 3. A term sometimes applied to all coins of numismatic value (as in: Rare Coin Dealer). |
| Rarity | The total number of extant specimens of a particular numismatic item. Condition rarity describes the number of specimens in a particular grade plus any in higher grades. |
| Rarity scale | A numerical-rating system used to quantify rarity. One example is the Universal Rarity Scale. |
| Raw | Refers to any coin that is not encapsulated by a grading service. |
| Rays | Term for the lines that represent sun rays on a coin's design. |
| RB | Abbreviation for red and brown or Red-Brown. |
| RD | Abbreviation for Red. |
| Real | A genuine coin. |
| | Also see: Counterfeit alteration |
| Red | Describes a copper coin that still retains 95 percent or more of its original color. (Abbreviated as RD) |
| Red-Brown | Describes a copper coin that has from 5 to 95 percent of its original mint color remaining (Abbreviated as RB). |
| Reeded edge | Grooved notches found on the edge of some coins. |
| Reeding mark(s) | A mark or marks caused when the reeded edge of one coin scuffs or scratches the surface of another coin. Also see: Milling mark |
| Regular issue | A coin struck for commerce. There may be Regular and/or Proof strikes, as well as die trials of regular issues. |
| | Also see: Business strike and Commercial strike. |
| Regular strike | Synonym for business strike. A coin struck using conventional coin pressing methods. |
| Relief | The height of the devices of a particular coin design. |
| Replica | A copy, or reproduction. |
| Restrike | A coin struck later than indicated by its date, often with different dies. |
| Retoned | A coin that has been dipped or cleaned and then has regained color – either naturally or artificially. |
| Reverse | The back or “tails” side, of a coin. |
| Rim | The raised area around the edges of the obverse and reverse of a coin. |
| Rim ding | Synonym for a rim nick. |
| Rim nick | A mark or indentation on the rim of a coin. |
| Ring test | A test that may determine whether a coin was struck or is an electrotype or cast copy. The coin is balanced on a finger and gently tapped with a metal object. Genuine coins have a high-pitched ring or tone, while electrotypes and cast copies have little or none. It should be noted that this test is not always an accurate method for identifying electrotype or cast copy coins. |
| Rip | A slang term for a coin which was purchased below the market wholesale price and is easily resalable for a good profit. |
| Roll | A set number of coins stored in a coin wrapper. Rolls were originally paper wrappers, and today are typically plastic. |
| Roll friction | Minor displacement of metal, mostly on the high points, seen on coins stored in rolls. |
| Rolled edge | A synonym for rolled rim. |
| Rolled Edge Ten | Common name for a particular 1907 variety of the Indian Head eagle. |
| Roller marks | Parallel incuse lines found on a coin after it is struck. It is believed that roller marks are caused when the strips of metal are pulled through draw bars (set at a precise distance apart to ensure the planchet blanks will be at the correct thickness). |
| Roman finish | A scaly finish, similar to that of Satin Proofs. This was an experimental Proof surface used mostly on U.S. gold coins of 1909 and 1910. |
| Round | Synonym for a round Pan-Pac commemorative fifty-dollar coin. |
| Rubbing | The barest trace of wear on the high points of a coin. Just a step more severe than “friction” on the scale of adjectives used to describe degrees of wear. Usually, a coin with rubbing has virtually full mint lustre intact. |
| | Also see: Friction |
| S VDB | Synonym for the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Head penny. |
| S-Mint | Term applied to coins struck at the San Francisco, California branch Mint. |
| Saint | Synonym for the Saint-Gaudens inspired double eagle gold coin. |
| Saint-Gaudens | Family name of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the preeminent sculptor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. At the request of President Teddy Roosevelt, he began a redesign of the eagle and double eagle coins in 1907 although he died mid-production. |
| San Francisco | The United States branch Mint located in San Francisco, California that struck coins from 1854 through 1955, and again from 1965 to today. |
| Satin finish | Also see: Roman finish |
| Satin lustre | Fine, silky finish seen mostly on copper and nickel business strike coins. Almost no “cartwheel” effect is seen on coins with satin lustre. |
| Scratch | A mark on a coin that is more severe than a hairline. |
| Screw press | The first type of coining press used at the U.S. Mint. The screw press had a fixed lower die, and an upper die attached to a threaded rod. By rotating a series of weighted arms that were attached to the threaded rod, the screw mechanism drove the upper die downward to strike the planchet. The screw press invention is credited to Donato Bramante. |
| SD | Acronym for small date. |
| Sea salvage coin | A coin retrieved from the ocean, often recovered from a ship wreck. |
| Seated | Synonym for Liberty Seated silver coins issued from 1837 through 1891. |
| Seated coinage | Synonym for Liberty Seated coinage. |
| Second toning | Natural or artificial toning that occurs after a coin is dipped or cleaned. |
| Semi-common | A coin that is considered neither common, nor scarce. |
| Semi-numismatic | Refers to a coin that has a significant bullion value and some numismatic value. |
| Semi-prooflike | A coin that has almost enough mirror-like reflectiveness to be called “prooflike”. |
| Series | A particular design or motif used over a period of time. This can refer to a single denomination, or in some cases, several denominations. |
| Set | A collection of coins in a series. This could be a collection of types, or a collection from a particular Mint. |
| Sheldon | The late Dr. William H. Sheldon who wrote the seminal work on 1793 to 1814 large cents. |
| Sheldon Book | The large cent book, first published in 1949 as Early American Cents and reissued in 1958 as Penny Whimsy by W. Sheldon, W. Breen and D. Paschal. |
| Sheldon numbers | The reference numbers (S-1, S-2, etc.) for 1793 to 1814 large cents as documented in the books, Early American Cents and Penny Whimsy. |
| Sheldon scale | A system of grading which was originally introduced by the late Dr. William H. Sheldon, for the purpose of grading large cents. The system was adapted to all coins in the early 1970's. The Sheldon Scale, as applied today, incorporates numerical grades 1 through 70 to correspond with various descriptive grades as follows: |
| | Poor – 1 |
| | Fair – 2 |
| | Almost Good – 3 |
| | Good – 4, 6 |
| | Very Good – 8, 10 |
| | Fine – 12, 15 |
| | Very Fine – 20, 25, 30, 35 |
| | Extremely Fine – 40, 45 |
| | Almost Uncirculated – 50, 53, 55, 58 |
| | Mint State – 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70. |
| Shield | A design used on certain issues that has horizontal and vertical lines in a shield shape. |
| Shield nickel | Synonym for the Shield five-cent coin struck from 1866 until 1883. |
| Shiny spots | Areas on Matte, Roman, and Satin Proof coins where the original dulled surface has been disturbed. |
| Show | Synonym for a bourse or coin show. |
| Sight seen | A term meaning that the buyer of a particular numismatic item in a particular grade may view the coin before buying it. |
| Sight unseen | A term meaning that the buyer of a particular numismatic item in a particular grade offers to pay a certain price without examining the item. |
| Silver | 1 – A precious metal |
| | 2 – Referring to coins struck in silver (generally 90% silver and 10% copper but there are a few exceptions). |
| Silver commem | Synonym for silver commemorative coins. |
| Silver commemoratives | Coins struck at various times from 1892 through 1954 and post-1982, to celebrate a person, place, or event. |
| Silver dollar | Silver coin that served as a cornerstone of U.S. currency from 1792 through 1935. Also see: Dollar, Trade dollar |
| Silver nickel | Synonym for Wartime nickel. |
| Silver-clad | A coin whose overall metal makeup is 40% silver and 60% copper. Kennedy half dollars (struck from 1965 until 1970) are silver-clad halves. |
| Skirt lines | Lines representing the folds of Liberty's flowing gown on Walking Liberty half-dollars. |
| SL | Acronym for small letters. |
| Slab | The plastic holder in which a grading service will encapsulate a coin which has been graded. |
| Slabbing | The process of encapsulating a coin in a sonically sealed holder. |
| Sleeper | A coin which is undervalued or underpriced. |
| Slider | A coin which a less scrupulous individual might sell at a higher grade than it really merits. The term usually refers to a nearly mint-state coin which is, or could be offered as a full mint-state. |
| Slug | Term for the octagonal and round fifty-dollar gold coins struck during the California gold rush. Legend has it that the term came about when criminals used the two-and-one-half ounce coins wrapped in a cloth to bonk their victims on the head. For an unrelated reason, 1915 Pan-Pac fifty-dollar commemorative issues are also referred to as slugs. |
| Small cent | Cents of reduced size that replaced the large cent as of 1857. |
| Small date | Term referring to the size of the digits of the date on a coin. The use of this term implies that a large or medium date exists for that coin or series. |
| Small Eagle | Referring to the coin design with the plain eagle on a perch, first used on the 1794 half dime and half dollar. |
| Small letters | Term referring to the size of the lettering used in the design on a coin. The use of this term implies that large or medium letters exist for the coin or series. |
| Small Motto | Abbreviation for the variety of two-cent coin of 1864 with small letters in the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”. |
| | Also see: Large motto |
| Small size | A term referring to the diameter of a coin in a series. The use of this term implies that there is a large diameter coin with the same motif. |
| SMS | Acronym for Special Mint Set |
| SP | Abbreviation for Specimen Strike. |
| Spark-erosion die | A die made by an electrolytic deposition method. Because the surfaces of the die are very rough (a result of the process), they must be polished to remove surface imperfections. |
| Spark-erosion strike | A coin made from spark-erosion dies, often showing signs of pitting in the relief areas as a result of the die surface. |
| Special Mint Set | A set of special coins that were first struck in limited quantities in 1965 and officially released in 1966-1967. They were intended to replace Proof sets, which had been discontinued by the U.S. Mint in an effort to stop coin hoarding. In 1968, The Mint resumed the issuing of Proofs. |
| Specimen | Referring to a special set of coins struck at the Mint from 1792 to 1816 that display many characteristics of the later Proof coinage. |
| Specimen Strike | Also see: Specimen |
| Split grade | A coin whose obverse grade is different from its reverse grade. Examples: MS-63/65 or Proof 63/60. |
| Splotchy toning | Color that is uneven, in both shade and composition. |
| Spot | A discolored area on a coin. A spot or spots can have a small or large effect on the grade of a coin depending many factors such as size, severity, and placement. |
| St. Gaudens | Common misspelling of the last name of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Also used as a synonym for the Standing Liberty double eagle (Saint). |
| Standard silver | The official composition of U.S. silver coinage, determined by the Mint Act of 1792. Initially set at approximately 89 percent silver and 11 percent copper, it was later changed to 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. |
| Standing Liberty | Design motif of Miss Liberty in an upright front-facing position. |
| Standing Liberty quarter | Synonym for the quarter dollar struck from 1917 until 1930. It was designed by Hermon MacNeil. |
| Staple scratch | A line on a coin resulting from its improper removal from a cardboard stapled holder. |
| Star | A five-pointed or six-pointed design element used on many U.S. coins. |
| State quarter | Synonym for the 1999 and later Washington quarters struck with unique reverse designs for each State. These quarters are to be issued in the order of admittance to the United States. The order for the original 13 colonies was determined by the date which each State ratified the Constitution. |
| Steam-powered press | A coining press driven by a steam-powered engine. |
| Steel cent | 1943 cents - and certain 1944 cents struck on leftover steel blanks - struck in steel and plated with zinc. |
| Steelies | Synonym for 1943 steel cents. |
| Stella | Abbreviation for the experimental four-dollar gold coins struck by the U.S. Mint in 1879-1880. The term comes from the large star on the coins' reverse. |
| Stock edge | A counterfeit edge collar used for creating fake coins. |
| Stress lines | Synonym for “flow lines.” |
| Striations | Term for the incuse polish lines on a die which result in raised lines on coins. While these are usually fine, parallel lines, they may also manifest themselves as swirling, or even criss-cross lines. Planchet striations are burnishing lines not struck away by the minting process that are incuse on the coins. |
| Strike | The sharpness of detail which the coin had when it was Mint State. A full strike is a coin that exhibits the full detail that would appear on the sharpest known examples of that type. |
| Strip | The flat metal, rolled and drawn to proper thickness, from which planchets are cut. |
| Struck | Term describing a coin produced from dies and a coining press. |
| Struck copy | A replica of a particular coin made from dies, possibly but not necessarily meant to deceive. |
| Struck counterfeit | A fake coin produced from false dies. |
| Surface preservation | The condition of a coin's surface. |
| Surfaces | The entire obverse and reverse faces of a coin. |
| Sweating | A procedure in which coins are placed in a bag and shaken vigorously to knock off small pieces of metal. The bits of metal are gathered and sold as scrap, leaving the original coins to be returned to circulation at face value. A practice mainly employed with gold coins, leaving their surfaces peppered with tiny nicks. |
NumisMedia Glossary of Numismatic Terms
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