Coin Terminology and Glossary

The Coin Collecting Dictionary includes 546 titles used widely in the coin collectors community, and has received over 1028556 search inquires.

Selected title: Brilliant
Explanation: Untoned, without tarnish or oxidation, preserved with original cartwheel (frosty) or prooflike lustre. A copper coin is considered brilliant if it retains full original red. A silver, nickel or gold coin is usually considered brilliant in the absence of toning or oxidation (although it may have some spots or light toning hues about the periphery) and its original lustre is considerable intact

Most popular coin titles

DefinitionSearchesPercentage
Specimen Proof (SP-70 or PF-70) 55185 13.62%
Silver Clad 32141 7.93%
Coin Silver 24225 5.98%
Slabbed Coins 23156 5.72%
BN 22735 5.61%
Encapsulated Coin 21757 5.37%
RB 21188 5.23%
Deep Cameo (DC or DCAM) 18203 4.49%
PF (PF60, PF70) 17935 4.43%
Reeded Edge 16985 4.19%
Ultra Cameo (UCAM) 16862 4.16%
PR (PR60, PR70) 15910 3.93%
Rarity 15857 3.91%
PQ 15747 3.89%
MS (MS60-MS70) 15503 3.83%
Incuse 14809 3.66%
Coin drop 14530 3.59%
High Relief 14426 3.56%
Reverse Cameo 14107 3.48%
Obverse or Face side 13832 3.41%