Aberystwyth Mint - The first provincial mint to be established by Charles I. It was opened in Wales in 1638 by Sir Thomas Bushell, the lessee of the Welsh silver mines. His privy mark was an open book. Coins were struck at this mint from dies shipped in from London and their minting ceased before the Civil War started.

Adjustment Marks - When a flan or planchet was too heavy for a particular denomination, an adjuster would scrape it by hand to bring it down to the correct weight.

AE - Symbol for `aes', an abbreviation for copper or bronze.

After Union - Coins struck during the reign of Queen Anne after the Union of England and Scotland in 1707. Those struck at Edinburgh can be distinguished by an E or E* below the bust. Only silver coins are known with an E or E*.

Altered Date - Where the date on a coin has been changed. Sometimes mints reuse dies and punch or re-engrave a new date over an old date. In some cases a coin will be altered unofficially to increase its collector value. An example is the 1933 penny, altered from 1935 into 1933.

Angel - An English gold coin first issued in 1465 with a value of 6 shillings and 8 pence. St Michael spearing a dragon is on the obverse and a ship on the reverse. This denomination was struck under every monarch until the reign of Charles I.

Anglo-Hanoverian Coinage - When Georg Ludwig became king of England in 1714, he retained his German dukedom of Brunswick-Luneberg in north central Germany - the name of which changed to Hannover in 1814 when it became a kingdom. Thus, George I, George II, George III, George IV and William IV were rulers of both Brunswick-Luneberg (Hanover) and the United Kingdom. As a result, coins of Brunswick-Luneberg issued between 1714 and 1837, though on a German standard and naturally showing German elements in the design, often portray the British monarchs, as well as their British regal titles and even, sometimes, the British coat of arms. On the accession of Victoria, due to Salic law which forbids the accession of a woman, the kingdom of Hanover passed to the Duke of Cumberland.

Annulet - A ring, usually very small, in many cases used as a mintmark. Henry VI's coinage can be dated according to the placement of the annulet.

Ansell Sovereign - Sovereigns struck in 1859 by the Royal Mint under G.F. Ansell to test the use of Australian gold. The gold proved too brittle for use in coinage. An Ansell sovereign can be distinguished by the line down the ribbon or tie in Victoria's hair.

Anson, Admiral - Admiral Anson circumnavigated the globe and brought back silver and gold which he had captured from the Spanish. But not off Lima Peru. The coins that were struck by George II with Lima below his bust might just indicate that the coins captured carried the Lima mintmark.

AR - Denotes Argentum, i.e. silver.

Artificially Toned - A coin which has been treated in some way to simulate a natural toning or give the appearance of age. It is sometimes done to disguise a badly cleaned coin. The colour is often very dark and somewhat lifeless. In some cases it can be rubbed away simply by touching the coin.

Assay - A test to determine the actual metal content of an object or coin, i.e. the fineness of the precious metal as a percentage of the total content.

AU - A grade which is designated as About Uncirculated.

Au - Denotes Aurum, i.e. gold.

Bag Marks - When coins are struck they are placed in bags and then moved to the place where they will be distributed to the public for everyday use. In that moving the coins rub up against each other and acquire small marks; these are called bag marks. The fewer the number and the less severity of the marks the higher the value of the coin.

Bank of England Dollar - Struck from 1804 until about 1814 but still retaining the date 1804. It was issued by the Bank of England to help alleviate the shortage of change. They were overstruck on eight reales of the Spanish world to replace the countermarked coins. Previously a punch which had been used to hallmark silver with George III's portrait was used to countermark Spanish dollars and make them legal tender. A wit in those days said it was `the head of an ass on the head of a fool'. Very wisely we do not know who said it.

Bank Token - Issued by the Bank of England between 1811 and 1816, they were struck in silver with denominations of (a) one shilling and sixpence and (b) three shillings. The Bank's name does not appear on the coins, just the legend `Bank Token'. There is also a pattern ninepence token known. From the condition of many of these Bank Tokens they saw considerable circulation.

Barton's Metal - A very thin layer of gold which is laminated or bonded to a copper blank.

Base Metal - A non-precious metal i.e. not silver, gold, platinum, or palladium. Usually copper or bronze but today it also includes aluminium, stainless steel and cupro-nickel.

Bath Metal - A mixture of zinc (24.7%), copper (75%) and silver (0.3%), it is named after the city of Bath where it was invented. It was used in the 1720s to make coins for the American Colonies.

Beading - The small dots sometimes found either around the rim of a coin or between the legend and a field.

Before Union - Coin struck in the reign of Queen Anne before the union of England and Scotland in 1707.

Bell Metal - Originally referred to coins struck from the melted church bells of France.

Bi-metallic - A coin which is made up of two separate metals. In modern coins, they are usually in concentric circles. The James II tin coinage had a brass plug inserted in it to help stop counterfeiting.

Billon - A mixture of silver and another metal where the silver makes up a maximum of 50% of the mixture. When first issued and still shiny from the mint, a billon coin will look like silver, but paler. After wear the other metal comes through and the coin will look coppery. The posthumous coinage of Henry VIII is a good example of what can happen and the reason he got the nickname `Copper Nose'.

Blacksmith Half Crown - A crude halfcrown struck in Kilkenny in Ireland during the Civil War. This is a very rare copy of the Tower Mint halfcrown.

Blank - The metal disc, also called a planchet or flan, upon which the design of the coin is impressed. The blank is fed into a press where extreme pressure causes the metal of the blank to flow into the reversed design of the dies so the design comes out raised.

Blondeau, Pierre - A French engraver who worked at the Tower Mint during the Commonwealth administration and Charles II's reign. He reintroduced the screw press for the making of milled or machine struck coins. It had not been used since Elizabeth I was on the throne. He also had the ability to put inscriptions or lettering on a coin's edge. This lettering was first used by Blondeau on pattern coins of 1651. It was not until 1658 that this process was regularly used on crowns and, after 1668, on five guineas. A lettered edge stopped the clipping of coins.

Blundered Inscription - It will appear on a coin which has been struck several times and the slight shifting has made the legend unreadable.

Bob - Slang term for shilling.

Bonnet Piece - A gold coin issued under James V of Scotland, it was valued at one ducat (3.5 grams). It was struck in 1539 from gold found at Crawford Muir. It is the first Scottish coin to bear a date.

Border - The outer part of a coin nearest to the edge and rim. Usually part of the design and used to ensure that the coin will wear better and longer.

Boulton, Matthew - (1728-1809) A manufacturer of coinage machinery, from Birmingham. Most famous for his Soho Mint which issued many of the early copper coins of George III, including the famous Cartwheel twopence and penny, as well as the Bank of England dollar. Boulton was the first person to use steam power to strike coins.

Brass Threepence - A denomination which was struck for circulation from 1937 until 1967 and then in the 1970 Proof Set. The twelve-sided coin was first designed for issue under Edward VIII and after he abdicated it bore the portrait of George VI.

Breeches Money - A slang term for the coinage under the Commonwealth. The two shields looked like an inflated pair of men's breeches.

Brilliant Uncirculated - A condition of grading. On copper and bronze coins it means bright and shiny just as they came from the mint. On silver coins it means with little or no toning, perhaps the middle coins from a roll where the outer coins have toned.

Briot, Nicholas - (1580-1646) Arrived in England ca 1626 and believed in machine struck coinage. A superb engraver, perhaps the finest this country has ever known. His work was far superior to the crude coins that were being struck at that time. During the Civil War he was loyal to Charles I and worked at York and Oxford. His coinage is neat, precise and most attractive.

Britain Crown - A five shilling gold coin issued by James I in 1604. The legend reads HENRICUS ROSAS REGNA JACOBUS (Henry unites the roses, James the kingdoms) Britannia Groat - William IV reintroduced the groat into general circulation. It had not been in regular use since Charles I. His new groat had the seated figure of Britannia on it; the final issue was the Jubilee issue of Victoria in 1888, which was struck exclusively for British Guinea.

Britannia - Her seated figure can first be seen on Roman coins under Hadrian and Antoninius Pius which were struck to commemorate their victories in the British dominions. Britannia is now depicted seated on a rock with a shield and trident in her hand.

Broad - A gold piece to the value of twenty shillings struck with the portrait of Oliver Cromwell, engraved by Thomas Simon and dated 1656.

Brockage - When a coin is stuck in a die and another planchet is introduced, that first coin makes an incused impression on the second coin. It acts like a miniature die. The second coin ends up with the same impression raised and incused.

Bronzed - Copper coins which have been covered with a thin layer of bronze, usually on proof coins to make them more attractive.

Bull Head - The portrait depicting George III on the new halfcrown after the Currency Reform Act of 1816. It was only used in 1816 and 1817. While some collectors also use this term to describe the shilling and sixpence of this issue, I have my doubts. After all it was only the design of the halfcrown which was changed in 1817.

Bullion Coin - A coin which changes hands at or near its intrinsic value. In recent years usually struck and sold for the hoarding of precious metal. They are of no numismatic value except curiosity value. Some coins which sell at `gold' or `silver value' were legitimate issues: sovereigns, French 20 francs etc.

Bun Coinage - The bronze coinage of Queen Victoria with a youthful portrait and her hair tied up in a bun; it was issued from 1860-1894.

Bungtown Coppers - Imitations of British copper coins struck mainly in the United Kingdom and also the American Colonies. There were many counterfeits of copper halfpennies, a number with most amusing legends. Also known as Regal evasions.

Bushell, Thomas - The lessee of the North Wales silver mines. In 1637 Charles I gave him permission to strike coins at Aberystwyth. These coins have the Welsh plumes and a privy mark of an open book. The quality of the engraving is quite fine and the workmanship extremely neat. They are beautiful coins.

Cabinet Friction - If coins are kept and displayed in wooden cabinets they tend to move about when the tray is taken out and rubbing or friction often occurs on the high points. These coins might not have seen circulation but unfortunately the cabinet friction does adversely affect their value.

Calais - This French town came under English rule in 1363-1412 and again from 1424 to about 1440. English silver and gold coins were struck there and either have the legend VILLA CALESIE (many varieties exist) or a `C' mintmark.

Carlisle, Siege Issues - Carlisle, a town on the borders of England and Scotland, was besieged during the Civil War. From October 1644 to June 1645, octagonal shaped coins were struck there from dinner plates made of silver. The coins were valued at one and three shillings.

Cartouche - A scroll-like ornamental design, usually containing some feature within it, e.g. the lion at the centre of the William III crown reverse.

Cartwheel - A slang name for the copper coinage of 1797. The Soho Mint issued one and two penny coins which weighed one and two ounces respectively (28.35 and 56.7 grams). It was the only time a government tried to give value for money. As expected, the public hated the heavy two pence and the famous Cartwheel twopence was never issued again. The penny was actually struck for a number of years but all the coins bear the date 1797.

Cased Set - A group of coins which is issued in some sort of casing or packaging. They are usually all of the same date and made other than for general circulation. They can be issued for a coronation, jubilee or the like.

Chevron Milling - A `V' shaped milling introduced to deter counterfeiting on the gold coinage of George II and George III.

Choice Uncirculated - A grade. A coin is Uncirculated if it has never been in circulation and is without wear. But due to the vagaries of how coins are struck, how the dies were made and how the coins were treated after striking, there are different grades of Uncirculated. Choice Uncirculated is better than a normal Uncirculated coin with far fewer bag marks and is well struck with full and uninterrupted lustre.

Clash Marks - The marks made on one die when it is struck by the other die without a flan or blank in between. When coins are struck from that die, they will have a minor impression from both dies.

Clipping - The process by which a quantity of metal was unofficially removed from the edge of a coin, which would then be passed on for its original value. People would also take hammered coins, put them in a sack, then shake the sack vigorously for hours. The sack would then be melted down and any metal left would be the person's wages for the day. This was called `sweating' the coins. It was illegal, but in the reign of Elizabeth I as long as the inner circle was not broken, the coin was still legal tender.

Coin Weight - A piece of metal which exactly reproduces the weight of a known coin. This is used to check if a coin is of the proper weight and fineness. The coin goes in one side of a balance scale and the weight in the other; if the coin is of the correct weight then the scale will balance.

Coin - A form of money, today the fractional part of a paper note. Usually round and struck in metal, but there have been square, triangular and other shapes also struck. In the 7th Century BC the first stamped piece of metal was issued in Lydia.

Collar - The metal ring which retains the blank while a coin is being struck. A collar can also impart a lettering or design on the edge of a coin whilst it is being struck.

Commemorative - A coin struck to honour or commemorate an event or person. In the past many commemoratives were issued at or near their face value. Today they are usually issued for collectors and to produce revenue for the issuing country or marketer. Many of the commemoratives issued today are not issued for general circulation and thus are NCLT (Non Circulating Legal Tender).

Condor Token - Privately issued copper tokens to the value of a farthing, halfpenny or penny in the late 1700s. First issued by the Parys Mining Company in Wales. Due to the shortage of small change they were readily accepted as money and rapidly spread all over the country. The merchants made a small profit on the manufacture of the tokens and also advertised their wares for free on the tokens. The first widely used book on this subject was written by James Condor and thus they are often referred to as Condor Tokens.

Conjoined - Two or more busts shown slightly overlapping and looking in the same direction. The only coins of this country to have conjoined busts were those of William and Mary.

Contemporary Forgery - A copy of coin made during the time that the coin circulated.

Copper Nose - A nickname given to Henry VIII whose posthumous coinage was so debased that, when it became worn, the copper showed through on Henry's nose. Thus he became known as `Old Copper Nose'.

Copper-nickel - See Cupro-nickel.

Copy - A reproduction of something, in this case a coin. Museums make copies, some for their own collection and some for sale in their shops. Over the years some copies have become very collectable. For example the Renaissance copies of Roman coins known as Paduans are highly collected. Modern copies are often made to deceive collectors.

Corbet Farthing - Andrew Corbet was granted a patent to strike farthings in 1693. This was almost immediately revoked, but a few pieces still exist.

Counterfeit - A coin (or note) made outside the relevant issuing authority to cheat someone, although it may well have the same metal content as the original. Interestingly, when the sovereign was demonetised, Italian counterfeiters made sovereigns with slightly more gold than the originals. Because of this they could not be prosecuted and profited from the 44% premium over gold content that sovereigns sold for at the time.

Countermark - A mark or design placed on a coin either by an issuing authority or by a private individual. During the reign of George III a small bust of the king was counterstamped on silver coins to make them legal tender in the United Kingdom. An individual can counterstamp a coin with his or her name or initials. In the 1800s many companies counterstamped advertising slogans on coins to get free advertising. It was later made illegal to deface coins by stamping anything on them.

Cracked Die - When too much pressure is applied when striking coins or when the die is very worn it will start to crack. As the metal is pushed into the die it will also be pushed into the crack, so cracks will appear as raised lines on a coin. It is possible to estimate when during the life of a die the coin was made, by the state and length of the die crack on the coin. A famous example is the Cromwell Crown.

Crosier or crozier - The hook shaped top part of a Bishop's staff, usually found as a mark in legends.

Crown Gold - Henry VIII set the standard for gold to be .916 2/3 fine, known as 22 carat gold. The Mint still uses this standard today.

Crown - The first English coin of this denomination was issued by Henry VIII in 1526. It was a gold coin with a face value of four shillings and sixpence. It is very rare because it was shortly replaced with the Crown of the Double Rose, which has a face value of five shillings. The first silver crown was issued in 1551 by Edward VI and the last crown to be issued was in 1981, for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

Cruciform Shields - Shields in the form of a cross.

Cupro-nickel - An alloy of copper and nickel. Today the usual ratio is 75% copper to 25% nickel.

Currency - From the Latin currentia, a stream. Thus anything that flows from one hand to another: coins, banknotes, pigs, shells or any medium of exchange which is acceptable. Today we use the term to refer to paper money.

Cut Money - In the early days when you wanted to pay someone a halfpenny and you only had a silver penny, you literally cut it in half. If you needed farthings then you cut the coin into quarters.

Debasement - When a government uses less precious metal in the coining of money, while still retaining its original face or exchange value. The prime example is the posthumous coinage of Henry VIII which contained so much copper that the thin silver veneer wore off quickly.

Decimalization - In 1971 the British monetary system was finally changed to one based on tens or decimals. The Pounds, Shillings and Pence or `LSD' system (Libra, Solidus, Denarius) was withdrawn and a new system of `New Pence' introduced. The pound was no longer divided into twenty shillings or 240d, but into 100p.

Declaration Type - Coins of Charles I issued during the Civil War period, the reverse of which contained the official royalist declaration RELIGO PROTESTANTIUM LEGES ANGLIAE LIBERTAS PARLIAMENTI -The religion of the Protestants the laws of England the liberty of Parliament.

Demonetised - A currency which is deemed to be no longer legal tender for debts both public and private. Under the Currency Reform Act of 1816 all coins issued before that date were demonetised, no longer legal tender. A period of grace was given during which the public could turn their old money in for the new coins. After that period of grace the coins were only worth their metal or intrinsic value.

Denomination - The name given to value of the coin either real or implied. A florin is to the value of two shillings or ten pence.

Denticles - Design objects used to create a border on a coin, usually round or wedge shaped. They go all around the edge of a coin next to the rim.

Device - That part of the design which is not a portrait or lettering.

Die Axis - There are two main types of die axis: coin alignment and medal alignment. In coin alignment if you are looking at the heads' side and turn the coin over through a vertical axis 180 degrees to the reverse, the reverse will be upside down. If on the other hand the reverse is right side up, then this is medal alignment.

Die Break - A raised line which is caused by the metal of the flan being forced into a small crack or break in the die.

Die Numbering on Coins - The Royal Mint used to number their dies between 1863 and 1880. It was for experimentation, the object of which has been lost. It has been mooted that the Mint was trying to see how long dies lasted.

Die Variety - Because different pairs of dies are used to strike similar coins, there may be small differences on the coins. These small differences caused by different dies are called die varieties. As obverse and reverse dies wear out at different times, it is possible to link the dies used by comparing die combinations. Museums spend a lot of time in trying to follow the sequence of dies used and many scholarly papers have been written on the subject.

Die Wear - Dies as they strike a vast number of coins start to show signs of wear; this causes the coins they strike to appear rather weakly struck. Coins can be as struck but appear to be only Very Fine.

Die - The engraved metal piece which is used to strike coins and medallions. In the old days an engraver cut directly into and in reverse in the metal. Today a plaster is sculptured and a rubber is made which is then placed on a reduction machine. The end product is called a hub and is raised like coins. From this, dies are struck and then hardened before use.

Dorrien Magens Shilling - A shilling issued in 1798 by the Royal Mint for the banking firm of Dorrien Magens. The government refused to allow this private enterprise to have its own coinage struck and so had all but about six examples melted down.

Double Florin - A denomination of four shillings struck only three times in our history. The first was issued in 1887, the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria, and continued on in general circulation until 1890. It is also known as `the barmaid's ruin'. When she had a few drinks she would often give change for a crown (5/-) instead of a double florin (4/-). This shortage would have to be made up out of her own wages. There were pattern issues in the reigns of George V, George VI and Elizabeth II. All these patterns are rare.

Drapery - Clothing or cloth in folds.

Dump Issue - A name used for the thick copper farthings and halfpennies of George I in 1717 and 1718.

Durham House - This was the Palace of the Bishop of Durham in London, situated along what is now the Strand. It was in operation as a mint in the reign of Edward VI from 1548-1549.

Durham - A town where coins were issued over a very long period of time. Regal coinage was issued under William I onwards. Episcopal coinage started under Edward I and continued until the reign of Henry VIII.

E.I.C. - The initials of the East India Company, which were used on some gold coins issued from 1729-1739.

Early Soho Striking - A contemporary or near contemporary proof struck at the Soho mint, Birmingham, shortly after the dies were cut. See also Late Soho Striking.

Early Striking - When a new pair of dies is first used they are heavily polished and thus the first few coins struck will have a prooflike appearance. These coins tend to demand a premium price and in many cases are much rarer than proofs.

Edge Inscription - Lettering on the edge of a coin which makes up a motto, first used on Cromwell coins. The inscription made it impossible to clip a coin.

Edge Nicks - Because of the way coins are struck and then dumped into a bucket or some other receptacle, they fall on top of each other. The edge of the coins can sustain nicks some minute and some substantial. These nicks decrease the value of coins and some dealers will try to put the nick `right'. Be careful.

Edge Ornament - A design on the edge of coin applied using a collar.

Edge Plain - Indicates no milling or design on the edge of a coin. Often early proof coins will have a plain edge to differentiate proof coins from circulation strikes.

EF (Extremely Fine) - A grade where there is little actual wear except on the high points. On copper and bronze original lustre might well still be in evidence. A most appealing and attractive grade, much undervalued by the market place in its inane seeking of the ultimate perfection.

Effigy - The bust or portrait on the coin or medallion.

Eighteen Pence Token - A silver token coinage issued by the Bank of England to help with a shortage of small change. Issued between 1811 and 1816.

Electrotype - A copy of a coin or medal which has been made by a process of electrolysis. These pieces are made in two parts and then glued or soldered together. They can be very deceptive but if lightly tapped on the rim, electrotypes will not give the characteristic ringing sound of a genuine coin.

Emergency Money - Money which is issued outside the Mint during a time when the normal issuing authority cannot strike coins. It could be because of a siege (Civil War) or a shortage of small coins (Bank of England tokens).

En Medaille - If holding a coin between your fingers with the head side is upright, you flip it over 180{.} and the reverse side is upright, then this is struck en medaille. If the reverse is upside down then this is struck in coin rotation.

Enamelled Coins - In Victorian days fine engravers and jewellers made current and older coins into attractive jewellery by enamelling them. The surface was scraped off and the design re-engraved into the surface which was then filled with enamel. The workmanship ranged from poor to excellent. The latest coins that I have seen properly enamelled where those of Edward VII. The coins that are being sold today as enamelled are just piled high with acrylic paint and fired in a kitchen stove. Collectors will never collect these modern examples which prostitute the craftsmanship of Victorian and Edwardian times.

English Shilling - When George VI came to the throne a Scottish shilling was struck for the first time (1937). To balance this there was also a shilling with English representation. This continued until 1970 when the last shillings were struck.

Engrailing - The term for the type of lines on the edge of a coin.

Engraver's marks - Sometimes die engravers are permitted to put their name or initials on a die, so every coin that is struck from it will bear their name or mark. Under William Wyon there were many varieties of his famous `WW' engraver's mark on our coinage.

Engraver - The person who actually cuts the dies from which coins or medallions will be struck. He engraves into the metal.

Engraving - The action of cutting the dies from which coins are struck.

Error - Something which has gone wrong either in the striking of a coin or the printing of a banknote. Maybe the coin is struck off centre, double struck or struck on the wrong flan. Collectors will pay extra for a major error on a common coin; on a rare coin they will usually pay less.

Escutcheon - Shield bearing a coat of arms.

Essay - A proposed design for a coin which may or may not be accepted.

Exergue - That part of a coin's design which is separated by a line below the base.

F (Fine) - A grade when the coin or note has seen considerable wear, but is still very collectable. Many collectors like a used coin because they feel that it has actually been somewhere. Collectors on a budget also like this grade.

Facing - When the portrait on a coin or medal is head on to the viewer.

Fair - A grade where the coin has seen much wear and it is only just discernible what the coin is. Collectors usually stay away from this grade unless the coin or note is especially rare or expensive.

Fantasy - A coin struck not to copy something else but rather to be something completely new out of someone's imagination. Over the years fantasy coins have the habit of becoming acceptable to collectors. Many have a very low mintage and can be far more attractive than regularly issued coins.

Farthing - The quarter part of a penny which is in turn the 240th part of a pound. The farthing was first introduced in the reign of Henry III and was last struck in 1956. The former was silver and the latter bronze.

FDC - See Fleur de Coin

Fiat Money - A medium of exchange where we accept the value that a government or issuing body puts on something. Real money has an intrinsic or metal value, fiat money has the backing in principal of a government.

Field - That part of the coin where there are no portraits or devices.

Fifty Shillings - A rare gold coin of the Commonwealth period with Cromwell's portrait.

Filled Dies - From time to time a die will become filled with lint, grease or something else. When coins are struck from filled dies part of the design will not be struck up at all. A good example is the Gothic Florin whose design was so fine that occasionally parts of the coin would appear changed and this caused havoc in the roman numeral dates of this series.

Filler - A coin in poor condition bought by a collector until a better example is found.

Fillet - A head band; often used in describing Victoria's portraits which have either a plain or an ornamented fillet.

Find - The locating of a group of coins and or artefacts which have been buried or hidden. Two examples of famous finds are the two Colchester Hoards of Henry III pennies and the Reigate Hoard of Henry VI coins.

Fine Work - William III's gold coinage of 1701 where the workmanship is of especially good quality.

Fishtail Lettering - Style of lettering where the end of the letters resembles a fish tail, only used on the coinage of Richard II.

Flan - The piece of metal upon which the design of the coin will be struck, also called a planchet or blank.

Fleur de Coin - A French term which translates as `flower of the die' and means Uncirculated. This term was used far more when coins were either mint or used. Today we use the term to represent a full mint state coin in impeccable condition (perfect Uncirculated of at least choice quality). Used far more on the Continent than in Great Britain today.

Florin - Originally a gold and a silver coin issued in Florence, Italy in 1252. First struck here in 1344 and then abandoned until 500 years later. Issued by Victoria as the first attempt at decimalization in 1849. Equivalent to two shillings or the tenth part of a pound, today it is ten pence.

Forgery - A copy of a coin or note made to deceive when exchanged for goods or services. In the old days you were hanged for just possessing a counterfeit, later convicted culprits were transported to Australia. See also Contemporary Forgery.

Fourpence - A denomination also called a groat, being one third of a shilling and one sixtieth of a pound. First issued under Edward I.

Frosting - Frosting can be the matting of the bust or lettering on a proof coin to show contrast with the brilliant field of the coin. Such a coin is the silver proof 1977 crown, which has almost a `Wedgwood' effect. Frosting can also be part of the design of a coin such as the William and Mary halfcrown.

G (Good) - A grade which denotes a considerable amount of wear. The coin is discernible but the lettering may not be clearly visible.

Gem Uncirculated - A grade of a coin struck for circulation. I consider this to be the highest grade that a coin can achieve. There must be full and outstanding lustre, an exceptional strike, no nicks and only the smallest bag marks discernible under a strong glass. This quality is harder to achieve in larger sized coins than in smaller sized ones. Fewer than 2% of all Uncirculated coins can be called Gem.

George Noble - A rare denomination issued by Henry VIII, which had Saint George on it.

Ghosting - When dies come together without a flan in between, you may get a partial image of one die on the other. When coins are struck from this die the resulting coins will have one strong image and one weak image of the other die all on one side.

Gilt - Gold plating on either silver or copper. In the reign of George III many of the proof issues were gold plated.

Godless - The first florins issued during the reign of Victoria, in 1849. The legend omitted the phrase DEI GRATIA (- by the grace of God) and the issue became known as the Godless Florin. The coins were recalled and a new version was issued in 1851.

Gold - A precious metal and, for most of history, the precious metal par excellence.

Gothic Crown - A crown issued in 1847 for circulation with a very ornate design, gothic in nature and thus became known as the Gothic Crown. Patterns were issued of this same design in 1846 and examples dated 1853 were included in the proof set of that year. Considered by many to be the most attractive British coin ever struck. The mintage of the 1847 issue is between 7 and 8,000 pieces.

Grade - A verbal, or in the United States, a numerical way of trying to describe the quality of a coin. Because the price of a coin is in many ways dependent on the grade, some individuals will try to over state the grade of a coin.

Grain - A weight where one grain equals 0.064799 grams.

Graining - The milled edge design of a coin originally slanting rather than straight up and down.

Great Recoinage - There have been a number of Great Recoinages over the years. There comes a point in time where coins have a problem circulating because they are of different weights and finenesses or have become very worn. Two recoinages which are very important are that of William III in 1696 and that of George III of 1816.

Groat - A coin to the value of fourpence, first issued in the reign of Edward I and struck for use up until the time of Victoria. The coin is struck today for inclusion in the Maundy Set.

Guinea - The denomination of a gold coin which had a face value of twenty-one shillings or #1.05 in new money. It got its name originally because much of the gold used in striking the coins came from Guinea in Africa. First issued under Charles II in 1663.

Half Crown - A denomination made up of two shillings and sixpence. The first silver issue was by Edward VI in 1551; before then it had been a gold coin.

Half Farthing - A denomination used more in the colonies than in this country. Issued by George IV, William IV and Victoria.

Half Groat - Twopence or half of a fourpence groat.

Halfpenny - The half portion of a penny. The first halfpenny was issued by Henry I and the last predecimal coin was struck in 1970.

Hammered - The striking of a coin by placing a flan or blank between two dies and then having someone swing a heavy hammer down on the dies to impress that piece of metal with the image on the dies. The other type of minting is called milled, which is a misnomer. The coins do not have to have milled edges, but rather be struck by machines.

Harp Strings - In the reign of Charles II and some other reigns the number of harp strings on the reverse varied, possibly to indicate which dies were being used.

Harrington - A licence was issued to Lord Harrington to strike farthings by James I. These coins were legal tender.

Hearts - Some George III shillings and sixpences dated 1787 have hearts in one section of the reverse shield and are known as the `with hearts' variety, others omit them and are known as the `no hearts' variety.

Heaton Mint - A private mint situated in Birmingham. Famous for the `H' mintmark and has struck coins for many countries including British pennies in 1912, 1918 and 1919.

Hoard - A group of coins which have been buried or hidden by an someone in the past who anticipated coming back to dig them up. Usually, but not always, they are the same generic type of coin.

Holed - or pierced. The making of a hole in a coin after it has left the mint. Done to enable the coin to be worn or to demonetise it.

Hub - The positive pair of metal dies from which striking dies can be made. These reversed dies are then used to do the actual striking of the coins.

Imitation Money - Copies of coins made usually as play money rather than to deceive anyone. The most famous of the manufacturers was Lauer of Nuremberg.

Imitation Spade Guinea - A copy in brass of the George III gold guinea known as the spade guinea, because of the appearance of the shield on the reverse. There are many hundreds of different designs. The original pieces were struck by a company called Kettle. A Victorian actress was known to shower the audience with these at the end of her act. They are not valuable but make a wonderful area to attempt to collect.

Incuse - A design which is sunk in rather than raised. Some initials on the coinage of William IV exist with both raised and incused lettering under the bust.

Initial Cross - The cross centred at the top of the coin. The legend will commence at this point.

Intrinsic - The actual metal value of the coin. In the past the intrinsic or metal value was very close to the face value of the coin. It had to be that way otherwise no one would accept the coins in payment. Today we are told that the piece of metal has a face value of #5 and we accept it although the intrinsic value might well be only a few pence. See fiat money.

Jeton - These are counters as used from the 12th to the 19th centuries, there are also later pieces which have advertising on them. Derived from the French, it is not a word that is used much in this country today. Jetons were used in mathematical calculations and later in games.

Joey - Slang name for a silver threepence, after Joseph Hume.

Jubilee Coinage - Queen Victoria finally allowed new coins to be issued with a portrait other than her young head. These young head coins were issued from 1838-1887. Her vanity was such that the coins carried her portrait as a 17 year old even when she was 67. On the Jubilee of her reign the new design was struck along with a new denomination (the double florin). The small crown placed on the back of the queen's head made her look a bit foolish and the jubilee head design was changed again in 1893 to the old or widow head coinage.

Key Date - The most difficult to obtain dates in a series. For example the 1952 sixpence and the 1950 and 1951 pennies. These are the dates which you would not find in your change no matter how hard you looked. You would need to go to a dealer and buy them to complete your collection.

Kings Norton Mint - A private mint situated in Birmingham. Known for the `KN' mintmark. Issued many coins for overseas governments and struck pennies for this country in 1918 and 1919.

Late Soho Striking - Coins struck by the Soho mint some years after the dies were first cut. The coins will normally exhibit defects such as rust marks or die cracks, although usually these flaws are only noticeable on close inspection. In 1848 W.J. Taylor, a contemporary medallist, acquired many of the original dies from which he restruck many of the earlier Soho coins, including patterns, nearly always repolishing or re-engraving some elements of the original die before reusing them.

Laureate - A bust crowned with a wreath of laurel leaves.

Laurel - The James I gold twenty shilling piece first struck in 1619. It gets its `name' from the laurel wreath on the king's head.

Legend - The inscription found on a coin or medal. In many cases it will consist of a string of abbreviations of Latin words.

Lennox farthings - Farthings struck under the licence that James I gave to Lord Lennox.

Leopard - A rare gold coin issued by Edward III in 1344 with a value of three shillings. The figure shown is actually a lion and not a leopard.

Light Coinage - Weights of coins reduced to make them more in line with the weight of European coins during the reigns of Henry IV and Edward IV.

Lima Coinage - Coins issued in 1745 and 1746 by George II from silver captured by Anson from the Spanish. It is thought by some that the silver had originally come from Lima, Peru and it was George II's way of thumbing his nose at the Spanish by placing the name Lima below his bust on the coins.

Lion of Nassau - The lion in the centre of the coins of William III.

Lombardic lettering - Medieval lettering originating in Italy. More rounded and ornamental than the plainer styles that replaced it, it was used until about the time of Edward VI.

Long Cross Coinage - The penny coinage first issued by Henry III where the cross on the reverse came to the outer edge of the coin. It is said that the cross came to the edge for either of two reasons, the first was to help with cutting the coin into halves or quarters and make change. The second was that it hindered the clipping of coins. As both halfpennies and farthings were introduced by Henry III (but are extremely rare), I am more convinced by the second reason!

Love Token - A coin which is engraved with a sentiment, picture or both to show tenderness from one person to another. In Victorian times a young lady might be given any number of engraved threepences or sixpences in this way and it was customary to wear them on a charm bracelet.

Low Relief - Dies which are cut with the design in relief which does not protrude from the surface a great deal.

Low Tide - A variety on the 1902 penny and halfpenny coinage of Edward VII.

Lustre - The brilliant rich colour that coins have when they have just been struck. It is impossible to replace this lustre once it has been lost, but some people will attempt to replace the colour, for profit. There is a certain swirl to the lustre. In copper and bronze coins, the more of the original orange brilliance a coin has, the more desirable it is.

Maltravers farthings - Farthings struck by Lord Maltravers who had been licensed by Charles I.

Matt Proof - A special finish which leaves a dull surface on the coin. This country issued matt proofs only in 1902 as an experiment; it was not repeated.

Maundy Money - Associated with the royal ceremony celebrating Maundy Thursday which is believed to go back to the reign of Edward II. The first `sets' can be made up from the hammered coins of Charles II but no real Maundy sets were made until the end of the reign of George III. A Maundy set consists of one of each of the denominations of fourpence, threepence, twopence and penny; mintages are low. Recipients of Maundy money get one penny for every year that the reigning monarch has been alive. So when Elizabeth II was 60, each person got 60 pence (six sets of four coins). When she was 61, they got six sets plus a 1 penny piece. When she was 62 they got six sets plus a 2 pence and so on.

Medal - An award usually given for valour and intended to be worn. Given by the government or some official organisation.

Medalet - A small sized medallion.

Medallion - A commemorative piece struck to honour an individual, event, place, time or the like. May or may not be issued by a government. If the event is of importance, many different companies may issue many different pieces.

Mestrelle or Meystrell - A French engraver who introduced the method of striking coins that we call today `milled coinage'. Elizabeth I experimented with coins struck on a screw press between 1561 and 1571. Very neat workmanship and of a vastly superior quality than hammered coins. But the Mint employees feared that this new machinery would put them out of a job and Mestrelle was dismissed. In 1578 he was hung for counterfeiting!

Metal Transfer - During striking, metal flows from one side of the coin to the other to fill the die. A vague outline can be seen on the `wrong' side of the coin. Not to be confused with clashed dies.

Military Guinea - The last gold guinea ever to be struck was dated 1813. It is called the Military Guinea not because of the design but because it was struck for paying troops rather than for general circulation.

Milled - A misnomer for machine struck coinage. Originally, one of the most important features of machine struck coins was that they could have their edge milled to prevent clipping. Milling was later replaced with lettering and then reintroduced. But the generic term milled indicates machine struck.

Milling - The actual lines or grooves around the edge of a coin which can be straight or slanting.

Mint abbreviation - On the early hammered coins the moneyer's name was spelled out in full but, due to lack of space on the reverse of a coin, the name of the mint might have to be abbreviated.

Mint Set - A set of uncirculated coins specially issued by a mint. The coins will usually have a special packaging and/or quality of the surfaces to distinguish them from regular circulation issues. The Royal Mint first issued Mint Sets in 1982 and have done so every year since.

Mint Sport - A coin struck illicitly but from genuine dies to produce an error or novelty of some kind.

Mint - As a grading term it is the same as Uncirculated, indicating a coin which has not seen circulation. Mint of course also refers to a place where coins are struck.

Mintage - The number of coins of an issue that were struck.

Mintmark - Also known as `privy mark'. A symbol or mark placed on a coin to differentiate it from other similar coins struck elsewhere and indicate where and by whom it had been struck. Used to control the quality of the coins being struck, these marks substituted the practice of including the moneyer's name in the legend. If something was wrong with the weight or the metal content of the coins, then the monarch knew who to `speak to'. A mintmark was used for some hammered issues and on milled issues. It could help link dies to coins and sometimes undated coins can be dated accurately by their mintmark.

Mirror Finish - When the surface of the planchet or flan has the appearance of brightness without flaws. This surface is found on proof coins where both the flan and the dies are polished to achieve perfection.

Misstrike - A coin which in any of a number of ways is not struck correctly. It might be off centre, it might be double struck or it might even be a brockage.

Model Coins - The model penny was struck by Joseph Moore of Birmingham ca 1844. It was a copper outer ring with a silvered inner part. It caused confusion with the public and the Mint had to tell the public that it was not legal tender. Other coins struck in much smaller size are usually by Lauer of Nuremberg; these were used as play money for children.

Modified Effigy - Refers to a change in the design of the coinage of George V in 1926.

Moneyer - During the hammered coinage, a moneyer was the mint official responsible for the striking of the coins and ensuring they were of the legal weight and metal fineness. On late Anglo-Saxon and early post-Conquest coins, his name will appear on the reverse together with the name of the mint.

Mounting - A coin can be mounted in either of two ways. The first is by attaching a loop to the coin with solder. The second is by constructing a ring or bezel to fit around the coin and placing a chain through a ring in the bezel. Both will decrease the value of a coin; one rapidly, the other slowly.

Mule - If you take one die from one coin and another die from a second coin and combine the two dies to make a third coin, this third coin is called a mule. When Taylor had the Soho Mint dies, he muled many different coins to come up with an equal number of new varieties.

NCLT - See Non Circulating Legal Tender Coins

`New' Coins - An indication on the decimal coinage from 1968 to 1981 to show that these were New Pence, not old pence.

New Style Calendar - In 1752 the calendar changed from Julian to Gregorian.

Newark - A town in the Midlands which during the Civil War was surrounded and held to siege. Emergency coinage was `struck' from cut up pieces of silver dinner plates. As some of the plates were gold plated silver so are the coins. They are dated 1645 and 1646 and the denominations are halfcrown, shilling, 9 pence and 6 pence.

No Hearts - In the 1787 shillings and sixpences there are varieties with hearts in one of the quarters and another variety without hearts; this is known as the no hearts type.

Noble - First struck in 1344 in the reign of Edward III, a gold coin to the value of six shillings and eight pence.

Non Circulating Legal Tender - NCLT coins are the subject of much heated debate in the coin industry. Basically these are most of the commemorative and off metal strikes issued by the mints. They are made for collectors and to gain money for the issuing authority. But if you wanted to spend them in theory you could, thus they are legal tender.

Northumberland Shilling - George III had struck #100 (2,000 pieces) of a special shilling in 1763. It was to be used by the Duke of Northumberland for largesse when he entered Dublin as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. It has a distinct bust.

Notaphily - The collecting of banknotes or financial instruments made of paper.

Numismatics - The study of coins, medals, tokens, banknotes and other means of exchange. Such a broad field encompasses a very wide range of interests, from the historical developments associated with coins and banknotes or the technical aspects of production to the artistic aspect of the designs - to name but a few.

Obsidonal Currency - From the Latin obsedere, to sit on, and indicating coins struck at a place that is besieged. In this country the term refers to the issues of the Civil War and encompasses Carlisle, Colchester, Newark, Pontefract and Scarborough. These issues are crude, being struck under extreme outside pressures and usually from cut up silverware.

Obverse - The side of a coin which bears the monarch's portrait or the most important legend, which usually includes the name of the monarch or the country. This is considered the most important side of the coin and commonly known as `heads'.

Off Metal Strike - Sometimes a flan for one coin will accidentally be struck with the dies of another denomination. If these coins are issued in two different metals then the resulting coin will be known as an off metal striking. Today mints offer their coinage in both the original metal and in silver and gold strikings; there is confusion as to what to call these.

Off-centre - A coin which is imperfectly struck so that part of the design is missing, as a result of careless minting procedures. In the case of hammered coins, such as those of Henry I and Stephen, they were met with very frequently. Off-centred coins are generally of less value than well-centred ones, even when the condition is otherwish excellent.

Old Head - The last coinage of Queen Victoria which is also known as the widow head coins. She is portrayed wearing the veil of widowhood.

One Year Type - A major variety which is only struck and issued for one year.

Examples are the George IV 1821 shilling and 1849 florin of Victoria.

Ornamental Trident - On the copper coins of Victoria, Britannia is holding a trident; this comes both plain and ornamented.

Overdate - When dies have to be reused at a later date, rather than engrave new ones, a new date or part thereof is punched over the existing date. The overdate can only really be seen properly on high quality coins. In the Commonwealth there are some coins where the date has been repunched two or even three times. This saved the making of new dies, money and time.

Overseas Mints - When English coins were struck at mints other than in Great Britain. Example Calais in the reign of Henry VI.

Overstrike - When a coin is struck over an already existing coin. Examples are the Bank of England Dollar which was overstruck on Spanish eight reales.

Oxford Crown - A now very rare silver crown issued for the City of Oxford during the Civil War. It is dated 1644, was designed by Thomas Rawlins and shows the City of Oxford below the king on horseback.

Parliament, Tower Mint under - During the Civil War in the reign of Charles I, the Tower Mint fell under the control of Parliament and coins with the portrait of Charles I were struck.

Patina or Patination - The toning that a coin has built up over a number of years. Many collectors, especially those just starting out, do not like what they call `dirty' coins. I believe that nice patination not only enhances the appearance of coins but actually increases their value. Patina is something which comes naturally and cannot be reproduced artificially.

Pattern - A proposed design for a new coin. When a new coin is going to be issued a number of engravers will be asked to submit their designs, before the final design is chosen. Once the actual design is chosen a number of examples will be struck before the date of issue for circulation. Even though these have the same appearance as the coin to be struck, because of the date they are considered to be patterns. An example is the 1848 florin of Victoria which is the same design as the issued 1849 coin.

Pax - The word for Peace which appears on the pennies of William I and Henry I. It was a hope for peace in the country.

Peck, C. Wilson - The author of the standard work on the copper and bronze coins of England.

Penny - The denomination is from Denarius, a Roman coin, which then became a denier in Europe and penny here which is abbreviated as `d'.

Petition Crown - Thomas Simon submitted the design for a crown to Charles II in 1663. The workmanship was excellent and Simon managed to get two lines of text on the edge of the coin. He petitioned the king to accept his designs but was turned down, reportedly because the king could not forgive him for the coins he had engraved in Cromwell's time.

Piedfort - A French word for a coin which is thicker than the usual striking. There can be double, triple and six times thickness piedforts. In 1983 the Royal Mint started to issue special collectors examples of the new pound coin in silver proof piedfort and it proved to be very popular.

Pile - The lower die in the pair of dies used to strike hammered coins. It usually had a sharp pointed end which could be stuck into the wood to hold it in place.

Pinches Family - A family of medallists who became the engravers in the mid 1800s. Engraved coins and medallions and did some outstanding work.

Pingo, Lewis - (1743-1830) Assistant engraver at the Royal Mint from 1776 and chief engraver from 1779-1815. Engraved many coins and patterns.

Pinhole - On the edge of coins you will sometimes see two pin holes; these were made to hold the coin in a mount as jewellery.

Pistrucci, Benedetto - (1784-1855) Engraver of gems as well as of the St George and the dragon reverse still used on coins today. The design was originally used on the `new' sovereign of George III, struck in 1817.

Pitting - Small holes in the surface of a coin or die caused by oxidation. If the die is pitted, then the coins it is used to strike will have small raised bumps on their surfaces. Many restrike coins can be told from the originals by the pitting or lack of it.

Plain Edge Proof - Proofs of George III, William IV and Victoria often have plain edges to differentiate them from circulating coins.

Planchet - The flan or blank that is used to strike coins.

Plaster - A sculptor will use a round piece of plaster to engrave his design. From this plaster a rubber will be made. The rubber will be placed on a reduction machine to make hubs from which a die is made. The plaster will be much larger than the finished coin; this is to enable the fineness of the design to be engraved without the use of magnifying glass.

Plug - Some coins have a plug in them to prevent counterfeiting such as the tin coins of James II. When a coin has been holed after striking, a plug may be placed in the hole to make the coin look more attractive.

Pontefract - A Royalist stronghold in the Civil War, under siege from June 1648 until March 1649. Emergency moneys were issued struck from silver dinner plates.

Portcullis Coinage - These were coins issued by Elizabeth I for use overseas by the East India Company in 1600-1601. They were trade coins and were struck with the denominations of 8, 4, 2 and 1 terstern and weighed the same as 8, 4, 2, and 1 reale respectively. They get their name by the depiction of a portcullis or drop gate on them.

Post-Union - After the Union of England and Scotland in 1707.

Posthumous issue - Coins of a monarch struck after his/her death.

Pre-Union - Before the Union of England and Scotland in 1707.

Presentation Piece - A coin specially struck to be given to a very important person. Sometimes the coin will be struck to a higher than normal quality, sometimes it will be struck in a more precious metal and sometimes it will be struck with a commemorative reverse. Presentation pieces were often made to show a monarch the new coinage or new designs.

Prince Elector Guinea - The guinea of George I issued in 1714 where the legend reads PR EL in place of EL; it also has a very different head.

Privy mark - See Mintmark.

Proof Set - A set of coins issued in proof quality by a mint. The coins will, in modern times, come in a case or some sort of presentation packaging.

Proof - In this country proof is a method of striking and not a condition. A proof coin is struck most carefully with polished dies and a polished flan. It will be struck more than once to get the high relief to show all the fine details. Sometimes you will get a lead piece with half of a coin, this is done to proof the die before striking.

Prooflike - A condition when the coins are issued in a quality which is better than the normal circulation striking but not up to Proof quality. The surfaces will shimmer.

Provenance mark - A symbol or mark on a coin to identify the origin of the metal it was struck on. Thus plumes, for example, indicate Welsh silver or silver from the Welsh Copper Co; roses, the mines in the West of England; VIGO, silver captured at the battle of Vigo in 1702.

Provincial Mints - The Great Recoinage of 1696 caused so much work that provincial mints had to be opened again. They were Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Norwich and York.

Pseudo Coin - A fantasy which purports to be a coin when it is usually a medallic piece.

Punch or Puncheon - A design or lettering on a piece of metal which is then applied to make a portion of a die. The head of George III might be made as a punch so that every die made for that coin will have the same details. It could be for applying lettering or a mintmark.

Pyx, Trial of - From the Greek pyxis, a box or vase. The Trial of the Pyx is the testing of the quality of the metal of coins by placing them in boxes at the Goldsmith's Hall, picking samples at random and assaying them to test the purity of the metal.

Quarter Farthing - The smallest denomination ever struck in this country. There were 3,840 of these coins to the pound. They were issued by Victoria and struck in copper; they are scarce.

Quarter Guinea - A gold coin with a face value of five shillings and three pence. Only issued by George I in 1718 and George III in 1762.

Quatrefoil - Four pellets close together.

Raised Edge Proof - On the 1935 George V crown the lettering on the edge of the coin was raised to differentiate it from the incuse lettering on the circulation strikes.

Rarity - An attempt to describe how many examples of a coin still exist. When an exact number are not known then a scale of rarity is used. A scale might go from EC (Extremely Common) to S (Scarce), or from R for Rare to R5 for Extremely Rare. This `guesstimate' of the number available is usually based on knowledge rather than mint reports of the number struck.

Rawlins, Thomas - Charles I's chief coin and medal engraver during the Civil War. He worked at Oxford and did the beautiful Oxford Crown.

Re-issue - When a mint strikes more coins than was originally planned. It should be in the same year or they then become restrikes. An example is the 1965 Canadian Mint Set. The Canadian Mint had so many orders that it reopened the ordering and struck as many sets as they had call for.

Recoinage - When old coins are called in because they are no longer legal tender, melted down and then the metal is made into other coins. The last great recoinages were those of William III and George III.

Reddite Crown - A pattern crown by Thomas Simon for Charles II.

Reducing Machine & Reduction Process - Today when a coin is to be struck, an engraver carves his design in plaster. This plaster is used to make a metal or rubber master which is then placed on a reducing machine. This cuts an exact copy but in a size which is the same as the coin which is to be struck.

Reeding - The milling on the edge of a coin.

Regnal Date - The year on the edge of a coin which is taken from the date of the death of the proceeding monarch. As this may occur in the middle of the calendar year, a single year's coins will often carry two different regnal years during their striking. On the coinage of Charles II, this dates from the death of Charles I, 30 January 1649.

Relief - The raised portion of the coin design.

Restrike - When coins are struck from the original dies at a later time. Many of the coins from the Soho Mint were restruck when Taylor bought the old dies for scrap metal value. Until the 1960s the Indian government would strike coins going back to the period of Victoria for you if you gave them old rupees in their place. Collectors should be aware that restrikes exist and that they do not bring as much as the original strikes do. Restrikes also diminish the value of the original strikings.

Reverse - The `tails' side of the coin, the opposite of the obverse or `heads' side.

Ribbon Stain - In 1950 and 1951 proof sets the chemicals in the ribbon interact with the coins and often result in stains on the coins which cannot be removed.

Richmond Farthings - The Duchess of Richmond was licensed to issue farthings by Charles I.

Rim - The raised part of a coin, formed by the metal from the edge being extruded.

Rose Ryal - A gold coin issued by James I. The king is sitting on his throne and the reverse has the Tudor Rose.

Rust Marks - Unless carefully kept, dies will rust. Coins struck from rusted dies will show areas of pitting. It is more commonly found on hammered than milled coins, though some Soho Mint proof and pattern coins struck at a later date also show rust marks.

Ryal - Edward IV first struck this gold coin in 1465; it had a value of ten shillings.

Scarborough - A town which, when it was besieged during the Civil War, issued many different denominations, all cut from silver dinner plates. There are many known denominations and all are rare. Rather than try to have uniform denominations they cut the silver, weighed it and then stamped it with its value.

Scottish Shilling - A variety of shilling issued from 1937 to 1970 (see also English Shilling). Scratches - Marks which are incused in the field of a coin. These may have been caused by any number of things. They detract from the appearance and value of a coin.

Seignorage - The difference between the metal or intrinsic value of the planchet plus the cost of striking deducted from the face value of the coin. In the past this was a relatively small proportion of the value, today it is increasingly larger. It is interesting to note that some small denominations actually cost more to strike than their face value.

Shield Reverse - This refers in particular to the first type of Victorian sovereign which had a shield or coat of arms on the reverse of the coin.

Shilling - The first attempt at a shilling which was the twentieth part of a pound, was the Testoon of Henry VII introduced in 1504. The first actual shilling was issued by Edward VI. This is also the first dated English coin; the date was in Roman numerals.

Short Cross Coinage - The penny coinage where the cross on the reverse fell well short of the edge of the coin, issued by Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III. Henry III had both short and long cross coinage.

Shrewsbury - The first Civil War mint to be opened to strike coinage for Charles I. Thomas Bushell was the mintmaster and took his privy mark of the Welsh plumes with him.

Siege Money - Money issued by a locality under siege when the normal flow of money into and out of the location is impeded and inhabitants create their own form of exchange or money to service their economic transactions.

Silver Tokens - Privately issued silver pieces struck around 1811 to alleviate the shortage of small change. Eventually the Bank of England also issued silver tokens, at which point the private issue ceased.

Sixpence - A denomination of half a shilling containing the value of six one penny coins; there are Victorian patterns with the denomination of half a shilling. The sixpence was first struck in 1551 for the currency reform of Edward VI. It continued to be struck until 1970 and was legal tender till 1980.

Snick - Small piece of metal, usually 'V' shaped, taken out of hammered coins to check their metal content.

Soho Mint - Matthew Boulton's minting facilities in Birmingham, 1786-1809. Among the coins struck there, under contract for the British government, was the famous Cartwheel Twopence.

South Sea Company - The South Sea Company had special coins struck for them in 1723 under George I. The coins were silver issues of sixpence, shilling, halfcrown and crown. They can be distinguished by the letters SSC in the angles between the arms on the reverse.

Sovereign - A gold coin first struck by Henry VII in 1489, to the value of twenty shillings. In 1816 under the Currency Reform Act the guinea was abolished and the sovereign made the unit of gold currency.

Spade Guinea - A gold coin to the value of 21 shillings issued by George III. The shield on the reverse looks like the metal part of a garden spade and thus it acquired the nickname Spade Guinea.

Specimen Set - A set of coins struck for presentation purposes.

Specimen - A specially struck coin for presentation purposes. The surface is usually prooflike.

Spur Ryal - James I gold coin issued in 1604 with a face value of fifteen shillings. The sharp rays of the sun on the reverse look like a spur.

SSC - See South Sea Company.

Sterling - When it refers to the fineness of silver it is the British standard of 925 parts silver per 1,000 parts total. British coins were struck in Sterling Silver until 1919, at which point the metal content was changed to 500 fine silver.

Striation - Marks on the coin usually from the scraping off of the excess metal of a coin. Sometimes from an improperly manufactured flan.

Tanner, John - Engraver of coins during the reign of George II and George III. A German who came to England in 1728 and died here in 1775, he was responsible for most of George II's coinage.

Tanner - Slang name for a sixpence.

Taylor, William Joseph - (1802-1885) A medallist and die sinker who produced a number of coins and tokens, mainly for export. He is most famous for restriking of coins from the Soho Mint's dies.

Testoon - The forerunner of the shilling issued by Henry VII in 1504 and valued at twelve pence. It weighed 144 grains, twelve times the weight of a penny. A rare coin with his portrait and of artistic importance.

Third Farthing - A coin with the value of one third of a farthing, which in turn is a quarter of a penny which is again one 240th of a pound. Used in some of the colonies. Third Guinea - A gold coin with the value of seven shillings (35p), three of which made up a guinea, only issued by George III.

Three Farthings - A silver coin to the value of three quarters of a penny, struck only in the reign of Elizabeth I.

Three Halfpence - A coin to the value of one penny and a half issued by Elizabeth I and again by William IV and Victoria, when it was used in overseas colonies, Ceylon, Jamaica and British Guiana.

Three Shilling Token - Bank token, struck in silver and issued by the Bank of England from 1811 until 1816. There are two busts of George III, the first in Roman armour and the second with a laurel wreath.

Threepence - A coin to the value of three pennies.

Tie - The bit on the bottom of the ribbon at the back of the head. Undergoes much change over the issues.

Token - A privately issued piece which stands in for a regal coin of a stated value. Many times the token will have an advertisement for the merchant who issued it. These pieces have less metal and cost less to strike than their purported face value. When there is a shortage of small change these pieces become more readily acceptable by the general populace. The vast influx of issues was in the 17th Century and then again in the late 18th Century. At the end, tokens were being issued for collectors rather than to fill a need in the community.

Toning - A coin over a period of time will react to its environment. The metal in a coin will change colour many times to a magnificent series of hues, and this is what we call toning. A toned coin is in fact more desirable than an untoned coin and in many cases will bring more money from a collector.

Tooling - The enhancement of a coin by burnishing the fields and getting the design to stand out more. It can also be to alter a coin's value by changing the date or some other part of the coin.

Touch Piece - When monarchs were held to rule by divine right, it was believed that the process of touching them with a coin and then wearing it constituted a cure for prevalent ailments. A `Touching Ceremony' first took place in the reign of Edward the Confessor and last in the reign of Queen Anne, and special gold medalets were struck with which to `touch' the monarch.

Tournai - French town were Henry VIII struck coins.

Tower Mint - The principal mint of England from Norman days, it was situated in and around the Tower of London. It was actually inside the Tower of London until the early 19th Century.

Triple Unite - Issued in the Civil War it is physically the largest gold coin ever struck and had a face value of sixty shillings. It was struck at Shrewsbury and Oxford from 1642 - 1644.

Troy Weight - A measure of weight for precious metals. Where an ounce of feathers is weighed avoirdupois at 28 grams an ounce of gold is weighed in troy weight at 31.1 grams.

Truncation - The bottom part of a bust or neck on a coin, often where the engraver signs his name.

Type Coin - A coin which represents a major variety of a coinage rather than a specific date. Collectors often try and obtain one example of each major type rather than one of each date of coin issued.

Type Set - A collection of coins put together which shows the different major varieties of the coinage rather than all the dates.

Type - A major variety of a coinage such as Victorian crowns can be broken up into four different types: Young Head, Gothic, Jubilee Head and Old Head. A collector would attempt to gather one of each type of crown rather than to complete a date set of Victorian crowns.

Una & the Lion - The design on the Victoria gold £5 issued in 1839.

Unc (Uncirculated) - A grade which indicates that a coin has never been released into circulation. Although a coin may be less than perfect when struck, with scratches and nicks, that does not mean that it is not Uncirculated. Over the years a coin may tone or a copper coin may change from bright to dark, again this does not mean that it is not Uncirculated. The term literally means a coin which has not seen circulation.

Uniface - Having a design on one side only.

Unite - A gold coin of James I, first issued in 1604 and with a face value of twenty shillings.

Unpublished Variety - An example with a difference, i.e. lettering differential, metal content, overdate or unknown date which has never been listed in numismatic writings or in a journal.

V.I.P. Proof - A term sometimes used to describe proof coins struck in very small numbers for presentation.

VF (Very Fine) - A grade of coin where there has been obvious but relatively restricted wear on the highest portions of the coin. VG (Very Good) - A grade where the coin has experienced a lot of wear and where the details are still discernible but worn.

Vigo Coinage - The coinage of Queen Anne struck from silver and gold captured from the Spanish in the battle of Vigo.

WCC - See Welsh Copper Company

Weak Strike - When not enough pressure is used to strike the coin, the design will appear to be weak and an Uncirculated coin will look like a used example.

Welsh Copper Company - Shillings were struck under George I with silver which came from the Welsh Copper Company. To distinguish these coins from the normal ones a small `WCC' is under George's bust. These coins are all scarce and in higher grades are Rare.

Wire Money - Maundy money issued in 1792 by George III, where the shape of the numerals looked like a piece of wire. A one year type.

Wolsey - Cardinal Wolsey had a mint at York from 1514-1526 and struck coins with his initials `T. W.' on them. He struck a groat which caused problems and a trial. The king was incensed that he dared to strike groats and also that he had placed his initials on the coins.

Wreath Crown - A series of crowns issued from 1927 to 1936 excluding 1935, with a wreath on the reverse. This was the fourth coinage under George V; a proof set was issued in 1927 containing this coin. Mintages are low and it is also known as the Christmas Crown as it was given out as presents at that time of year.

Year Set - A collection or set of coins containing all the coins that were issued in a specific year.

Yeo, Richard - Engraver at the Royal Mint from about 1749. He produced the Northumberland Shilling and guineas of George III and died in 1779.

York - At this town there was an Episcopal mint from about 750 AD and it remained until Archbishop Wolsey struck groats bearing his own initials and the king closed him down. The city was also the location of a mint during the English Civil War and later during the Great Recoinage of 1696[s]97. The inscription on coins struck in York is EBOR.

Young Head - This has been used for the coinage of George II, George III and Victoria and helps to differentiate the first coins issued during a long reign.

Richard Lobel