US Mint: Anatomy Of A Coin - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 6,423
CCFPress Press Manager United States 1420 Posts	Posted 08/26/2020 4:42 pm US Mint - Before you start collecting coins, it's important to learn basic coin terminology, including the parts of a coin and the different finishes. In addition to the terms below, review more in the Coin Term Glossary. Parts of a Coin Obverse The front side ("heads") of a coin. Reverse The back side ("tails") of a coin. Edge The outer border of a coin. Edges can be plain, reeded, lettered, or decorated. Rim The raised part of the edge on both sides of a coin that helps protect the coin's design from wear. Legend The principal inscription or lettering on a coin. Mint Mark A small letter or symbol on a coin used to identify where a coin was made. Current U.S. mint marks are Philadelphia (P), Denver (D), San Francisco (S), and West Point (W). Learn more on our Mint Marks page. Relief The part of a coin's design that is raised above the surface. Field The flat portion of a coin's surface not used for design or inscription. Coin Finishes The Mint produces coins with various finishes, including circulating, uncirculated, and proof. Different production steps are used to make these coins. Circulating Coins Circulating coins are made to circulate among people as they take care of their daily business of buying and selling. The Mint produces these coins without the extra steps used for the other finishes. Uncirculated Coins The Mint makes uncirculated coins for saving and collecting. They are produced the same way as circulating coins, but with quality enhancements to create a brilliant finish. Proof Coins Proof coins have a mirror-like background with frosted design elements. The Mint uses a special process of manually feeding burnished coin blanks into presses with specially polished dies. Each coin is struck at least twice to bring out the details in the design. Reverse proof coins feature a frosted background with a mirror-like design. Enhanced Finishes Sometimes the Mint makes special enhanced uncirculated, proof, or reverse proof coins. Frosting or polishing is applied to certain areas of the coin to bring out even more detail. Report this Post to the Staff

David Graham Pillar of the Community Australia 1582 Posts	Posted 07/07/2021 5:02 pm Nice introduction to coin terminology but would be better if it included satin and matt finishes. If I remember correctly, some of the US coins were produced in satin finish. Edited by David Graham 07/07/2021 5:04 pm Report this Post to the Staff
silverado Valued Member United States 187 Posts	Posted 04/06/2022 06:25 am Great topic !!!!! I hope more varieties will be posted as there are a lot out there! Report this Post to the Staff
silverado Valued Member United States 187 Posts	Posted 04/06/2022 8:33 pm Great topic, especially for those new to coin collecting!!!!! Edited by silverado 04/06/2022 8:34 pm Report this Post to the Staff
kenwright396 Pillar of the Community United States 1173 Posts	Posted 04/07/2022 06:35 am Thanks for sharing. Report this Post to the Staff
silverado Valued Member United States 187 Posts	Posted 06/05/2022 11:22 pm Yah mon ....... good info !!!!! Report this Post to the Staff
AllSeasons Valued Member United States 396 Posts	Posted 01/19/2023 7:32 pm Thank you - this is really helpful for a relatively new coin collector like myself. Quick question about proof coins. Is there an easy way to tell whether a penny is a proof penny when coin roll hunting? I've never actually seen a proof coin in person, or maybe I have, but just didn't know. I'm really having a lot of trouble picking them out, if I actually came across any. But just don't want to miss out on them. Thanks! Report this Post to the Staff
Jess1234 Valued Member Canada 333 Posts	Posted 03/29/2023 06:53 am Love this post! Really helpful! Report this Post to the Staff
Jess1234 Valued Member Canada 333 Posts	Posted 04/20/2023 7:16 pm Really good information! Thank you! Report this Post to the Staff
jfeed Pillar of the Community United States 941 Posts	Posted 03/04/2024 11:45 pm This post in fantastic...Even if it's been around for a while. Nice and simple for old guys like me to understand. Thank Report this Post to the Staff
Kimbwils123 New Member United States 3 Posts	Posted 03/07/2025 8:59 pm As a newbie to the coin minting process and someone eager to learn, this was a fabulous introduction. Someone commented about "satin" finishes and I noticed that a "satin" finish is an option on ebay under specifications when you list a coin. If someone could introduce an example of a satin finish that would be helpful. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 10 / Views: 6,423

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