Coin Terminology and Glossary

The Coin Collecting Dictionary includes 546 terms used widely in the coin collectors community, and has received over 277104 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) 18753 13.91%
Silver Clad 15045 11.16%
BN 10067 7.47%
Encapsulated Coin 8617 6.39%
RB 7574 5.62%
Deep Cameo (DC or DCAM) 6889 5.11%
Ultra Cameo (UCAM) 6713 4.98%
Reeded Edge 5851 4.34%
Coin Silver 5736 4.25%
PF (PF60, PF70) 5464 4.05%
Obverse or Face side 5195 3.85%
PR (PR60, PR70) 5084 3.77%
PQ 4814 3.57%
MS (MS60-MS70) 4648 3.45%
High Relief 4521 3.35%
Slabbed Coins 4477 3.32%
Reverse Cameo 4250 3.15%
Clad Coinage 3805 2.82%
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) 3719 2.76%
Deep Mirror Prooflike (DPML) 3562 2.64%