Coin Terminology and Glossary

The Coin Collecting Dictionary includes 546 terms used widely in the coin collectors community, and has received over 631568 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) 37201 13.40%
Silver Clad 26647 9.60%
Coin Silver 18839 6.78%
BN 16696 6.01%
Encapsulated Coin 16114 5.80%
Slabbed Coins 15705 5.66%
RB 15286 5.50%
Deep Cameo (DC or DCAM) 12433 4.48%
PF (PF60, PF70) 12048 4.34%
Reeded Edge 11863 4.27%
Ultra Cameo (UCAM) 11557 4.16%
PQ 10340 3.72%
MS (MS60-MS70) 10224 3.68%
PR (PR60, PR70) 10116 3.64%
High Relief 9520 3.43%
Incuse 9427 3.39%
Coin drop 8778 3.16%
Obverse or Face side 8754 3.15%
Rarity 8362 3.01%
Reverse Cameo 7782 2.80%