Glossary of Numismatics

Aes grave

the heavy, cast bronze money of the early Roman Republic, measured in units of the as.

Antoninianus

a Roman coin of the imperial period worth two denarii, recognisable by the emperor's radiate crown.

As

the basic Roman bronze coin, against which numerous other denominations were measured.

Aureus

the Roman gold coin of antiquity, in the imperial period the highest denomination before the solidus.

Obverse

the main side of a coin, usually with the portrait of the ruler, a coat of arms or a national symbol.

Batzen

a southern German and Swiss silver coin of the early modern period worth several kreuzer.

Adjunct mark (Beizeichen)

a small symbol in the coin design that more precisely identifies the mint, the mint master or the year of striking.

Billon

a low-grade alloy of little silver and much copper, common in small change.

Bracteate

a thin medieval coin struck on one side only, so that the image appears sunken on the reverse.

Denarius

an ancient Roman silver coin; the name lives on in many medieval coin names.

Drachm

one of the most important silver coins of Greek antiquity and at the same time a unit of weight.

Ducat

a European gold coin of high fineness, for centuries an important trade money.

Electrum

a natural or artificial alloy of gold and silver, the material of the earliest coins.

Grade (condition)

the description of a coin's state, from 'fine' through 'very fine' and 'extremely fine' to 'mint state'.

Forgery

a coin made inauthentically, either as contemporary counterfeit money or as a later imitation to deceive collectors.

Fineness

the proportion of precious metal in a coin, usually given in thousandths.

Field

the smooth, motif-free surface between the design elements of a coin.

Follis

a late Roman bronze coin, introduced with the coinage reform around 294 AD.

Commemorative coin

a coin that commemorates an event, a person or a place and is often issued specially for collectors.

Countermark

a mark struck into a finished coin afterwards, confirming its value or validity.

Impression (Gepräge)

the image of a coin produced by striking.

Groschen

a medieval and early modern silver coin from which numerous regional denominations developed.

Gulden

originally a gold, later a silver coin, long one of the most important currency units of central Europe.

Cast coin

a coin not struck but cast in moulds, typical of the early Roman heavy bronze money.

Heller

a small medieval coin named after the mint of Hall, later a term for the smallest change.

Klippe

a coin struck in a square shape, often made as emergency money or for festive occasions.

Contorniate

a late antique, medal-like bronze piece with a grooved rim, probably for games and gifts.

Kreuzer

a southern German and Austrian small coin, named after the cross struck on it.

Legend

the inscription of a coin that runs around the image or in several lines in the field.

Alloy

the mixture of several metals that makes up the blank and thus the coin.

Medal

a coin-like piece without payment function, struck or cast for commemoration or honour. (see our Medals)

Medallion

an especially large Roman striking that served as an honour or gift and not as circulating money.

Coin standard (Münzfuß)

the legal rule for how many coins are to be struck from a given amount of precious metal.

Mint

the place where coins are made; often indicated by a mint mark.

Mint mark

a letter or symbol indicating the mint or the responsible mint master.

Denomination

the value level of a coin, such as denarius, taler or euro.

Emergency money (Notgeld)

substitute money issued in times of crisis by towns, companies or regions instead of regular coins.

Numismatics

the study of coins, medals and monetary systems as well as their historical contexts.

Numismatist

a person who studies or collects coins and medals, whether academically or as a hobby.

Obol

a small Greek silver coin, the sixth part of a drachm.

Patina

the natural surface layer that forms over time, especially on bronze coins, and is valued as a sign of authenticity.

Pfennig

the most widespread small coin of the German Middle Ages and modern period, derived from the denarius.

Striking

the process in which the coin design is struck into the blank with an upper die and a lower die.

Provenance

the history of a piece's origin and ownership, which supports its value and authenticity.

Punch

a steel tool with a single design element, used to strike details into the coin die.

Edge inscription

the inscription on the narrow edge of a coin.

Jeton (Rechenpfennig)

a coin-like token without monetary value, used for counting on the reckoning board.

Reverse

the side opposite the obverse, often with the value, a motif or a supplementary legend.

Schilling

a medieval unit of account and later coin, in many places an intermediate step between pfennig and gulden.

Blank (flan)

the round metal blank from which a coin is made by striking.

Sestertius

a large Roman coin, in the imperial period usually of brass, an important carrier of image and inscription.

Solidus

the late Roman and Byzantine gold coin, a stable reference money for centuries.

Stater

a high-value denomination of Greek antiquity, struck in gold, silver or electrum.

Die

the engraved steel tool with which the coin design is struck into the blank.

Subaeratus

a coin with a base-metal core and a thin precious-metal coating, partly as a forgery, partly officially made.

Taler

a large silver coin of the modern period whose name lives on in the English 'dollar'.

Tessera

an ancient token of metal, clay or lead that served as an admission mark, gaming piece or value token.

Tetradrachm

an ancient Greek silver coin worth four drachms, a leading denomination of many mints.

Overstrike

the renewed striking of an existing coin with a new die design.

Circulation coin

a coin intended for everyday payment, as opposed to commemorative or investment pieces.

Circular inscription

the inscription running around the edge of a coin in a circle.

These terms in practice: an overview is given by Numismatics in Munich, getting started by Collecting coins and placing a piece by Identifying coins. If you want to go deeper, the lectures of the Bavarian Numismatic Society are the place to be, or you can find, in the series Collector's Pride , a new piece with its story every two weeks.