Coin Terminology and Glossary

The Coin Collecting Dictionary includes 546 terms used widely in the coin collectors community, and has received over 259464 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) 17518 13.82%
Silver Clad 14078 11.10%
BN 9589 7.56%
Encapsulated Coin 8150 6.43%
RB 7007 5.53%
Deep Cameo (DC or DCAM) 6514 5.14%
Ultra Cameo (UCAM) 6442 5.08%
Reeded Edge 5512 4.35%
Coin Silver 5389 4.25%
PF (PF60, PF70) 5190 4.09%
Obverse or Face side 5008 3.95%
PR (PR60, PR70) 4856 3.83%
PQ 4468 3.52%
MS (MS60-MS70) 4369 3.45%
Reverse Cameo 4097 3.23%
High Relief 4057 3.20%
Slabbed Coins 3927 3.10%
Clad Coinage 3615 2.85%
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) 3555 2.80%
Deep Mirror Prooflike (DPML) 3389 2.67%