Tuesday, June 3, 2025

The Basic Parts of a Coin

Understanding the parts of a coin is essential if you want to be able to learn about coins and discuss them with others. Here are a few key terms:

  • Edge: The outside surface of the coin, which is most commonly either flat or grooved
  • Field: The flat, smooth part of a coin, forming the background of its design
  • Head: Also called the obverse, this side of a coin features a prominent design associated with the country issuing the coin, often the image of a person.
  • Legend: The text on a coin that says what country minted it and what its face value is
  • Mint Mark: A small letter or letters on a coin to indicate where the coin was made
  • Relief: Part of a coin's design that's raised above the flat surface of the coin
  • Rim: The raised portion around the circumference of either side of a coin that helps to protect its design from wear during circulation
  • Tail: Also known as the reverse, this part of the coin usually features the coin's face value along with a different image or design.

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