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Numismatics: The Art of Coin Collecting - a vocabularyThe word numismatics has to do with folks who collect coins and medals, a hobby that has been popular for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. While certain coins can be worth incredible sums of money, it is often pure pleasure and personal satisfaction that drives these collectors. Part of the fun is being immersed in a world with its own lexicon. If you are interested in exploring coin collecting, you will need to become familiar with the issues and terms near and dear to the experts.Here is a sampling of the vocabulary used in the pursuit of coin collecting. AGW (Actual Gold Weight)The term AGW refers to the portion of a coin that is comprised entirely of pure gold. This is important since other metal alloys may be taken into account when determining a coin's weight.AlloyThe word alloy indicates that a coin has been minted with two or more metals mixed together.Bag MarkA bag mark is a mark that~s been made on a coin by another coin, such as when they make contact within a bag that contains two or more of them. Though the technical term is ~Bag Mark,~ this flaw on the coin~s surface may not have actually been incurred within the contents of a bag.BlendedThis term refers to the coin's edges. It indicates that the edges are blurred or worn down due to some type of abrasion.CCAn example of a mintmark, "CC" identifies a coin as having been struck at Carson City's Nevada Mint.CullThis refers to a coin of no value, due to its poor condition ~ usually due to environmental circumstances. Culls are considered non-collectibles.DingA common slang term, both within the coin collecting community and without, a "ding" is a small to medium- sized mark or indentation.Eye AppealThe overall presentation of a coin, or that which is able to capture the attention of the viewer, is known as eye appeal.HoarderSomeone who collects lots of coins and/or other numismatic items.MintmarkCoins are struck at different mints, or production facilities. The mintmark indicates at which mint the coin was struck.Wonder CoinA slang term used to indicate a coin that is in truly superb condition.There~s a full vocabulary of terms that are specific to numismatics, far richer than the few that have been listed here. In order to become truly adept at the art of collecting coins, a full understanding should be obtained of all terms and specifics of a wide variety of coins. Gaston Batadan is the webmaster of Alta Coins which is one of the leading resources on the subject of coins available online. For more information, go to: http://www.altacoins.com |
