Coin Terminology and Glossary

The Coin Collecting Dictionary includes 546 terms used widely in the coin collectors community, and has received over 331290 search inquires.

Selected term: Buffing (whizzed)
Explanation: A polishing of a coin sometimes with an abrasive that leaves a finish that attempts to counterfeit mint luster. A buffed coin often is worth less than one that has not been cleaned

Most popular coin terms

DefinitionSearchesPercentage
Specimen Proof (SP-70 or PF-70) 22523 14.09%
Silver Clad 17967 11.24%
BN 11439 7.16%
Encapsulated Coin 10222 6.40%
RB 9106 5.70%
Deep Cameo (DC or DCAM) 7982 4.99%
Ultra Cameo (UCAM) 7513 4.70%
Reeded Edge 6929 4.34%
Coin Silver 6872 4.30%
PF (PF60, PF70) 6437 4.03%
Slabbed Coins 6391 4.00%
PR (PR60, PR70) 5862 3.67%
PQ 5841 3.66%
Obverse or Face side 5801 3.63%
High Relief 5518 3.45%
MS (MS60-MS70) 5429 3.40%
Reverse Cameo 4838 3.03%
Rarity 4400 2.75%
Clad Coinage 4350 2.72%
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) 4281 2.68%