Collecting Terms

ACG - ACcu-Grade. Grading service. Controversial at present, because the assigned grades seem to be inflated relative to standard services like PCGS and NGC.

aF (VG10) - about Fine. Grade.

AG (AG3) - About Good. Grade.

ANA - American Numismatic Association. Collector and dealer organization.

ANACS - (originally) American Numismatic Association Certification Service. Grading service. It has since been sold to a company independent of the ANA.

ASE (SAE) - American Silver Eagle. A one ounce silver bullion coin, issued 1986-date.

AU (AU50, AU53, AU55, AU58) - About Uncirculated. Grade.

aVF (F15?) - about Very Fine. Grade.

aXF (VF35?) - about Extremely Fine. Grade.

B# (B1-B10?) - Browning number (1925). Die variety - Bust Quarters, 1796-1838.

B# (B1-B23?) - Bolender number (1950, 1998). Die variety - Silver Dollars, 1794-1803.

BB# (BB1-BBn?) - Bowers and Borckardt number (1993). Die variety - Silver Dollars, 1794-1804 and later.

BG# (BG101-BG1313) - Breen and Gillio number (1983). Die variety - California private gold, 1852-1882.

BN - Brown. Color grade for uncirculated copper coins (BN, RB, or RD).

BU (MS60?) - Brilliant Uncirculated. Vague Grade.

BV - Bullion Value. The value of the coin is closely related to its metallic content (usually silver or gold).

C - Charlotte (North Carolina). Mintmark, 1838-61, gold coins only.

C# (C1-C23?) - Cohen number (1982). Die variety - Half Cents, 1793-1857.

CC - Carson City (Nevada). Mintmark, 1870-93, gold and silver coins only.

CMM# (CMM1-CMM13?) - Cohen, Munson, Munde number (1971). Die variety - Half Cents, 1793-1857.

CSDG - California Small Denomination Gold.

CW - Coin World. Publication.

D - Dahlonega (Georgia). Mintmark, 1838-61, gold coins only.

D - Denver (Colorado). Mintmark, 1906-.

DC (DCAM) - Deep Cameo. High grade proof.

DDO - Doubled Die Obverse. Type of die variety.

DDR - Doubled Die Reverse. Type of die variety.

DMPL - Deep Mirror Proof Like. Business strike, with deep mirrored planchet.

EAC - Early American Coppers, Inc. Collector and dealer organization.

EF (EF40, EF45) - Extremely Fine. Grade.

F (F12, F15) - Fine. Grade.

FA - For Auction. Internet phrase.

FE - Flying Eagle (cent). US cent coin, 1856-1858.

FRNS - Fellow of Royal Numismatic Society. Collector and dealer organization.

FS# (FS1-FS?) - Fivaz and Stanton number (19xx). Die variety - many series.

FS - For Sale. Internet phrase.

G (G4, G6)- Good. Grade.

GD - Golden Dollar. US Sacagawea dollar coin, 2000-date.

GMM - Gallery Mint Museum. A current producer of replicas of early US coins.

ICGS - Independent Coin Grading Service. Grading service.

IHC - Indian Head Cent. US cent coin, 1858-1909. (1858 is a pattern)

J# (J1-J1778?) - Judd number (1959-77). Pattern or experimental coin.

JR# (JR1-JR13?) - John Reich number (Davis, et al, 1984). Die variety - Bust Dimes, 1794-1837.

KM# (KM1-KM?) - Krause and Mishler number. From Standard Catalog of World Coins. Type of world coin. Includes California, Mormon, Colorado, Hawaii.

LM# (LM1-LM18) - Logan-McCloskey number (1998). Die variety - Bust Half Dimes, 1792-1837.

MS (MS60-MS70) - Mint State. (Uncirculated, business strike). Grade.

N# (N1-N17?) - Newcomb number (1944). Die variety - Large Cents, 1816-1868.

N# (N1-N105?) - Newman number (1952). Die variety - Fugio Cents, 1787.

NC - Not Collectable. A unique or nearly unique coin. Usually one of Sheldon's die varieties of Large Cents. At the time of Sheldon's "Penny Whimsey" (1958), for a coin to be NC, there had to be less than 3 specimens known.

NGC - Numismatic Guarantee Corporation. Grading service.

NLG - Numismatic Literary Guild. A prestigious organization of writers of numismatically related articles, books, etc.

NN - Numismatic News. Publication.

NTC - Numistrust Corporation. Grading service. (relatively new, reputation unknown)

O# (O101-O128?) - Overton number (1970). Die variety - Bust Half Dollars, 1794-1836.

OMM - Over MintMark. Two different mintmarks involved. (versus RPM, which is the same mintmark punched more than once). Type of die variety.

P - Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). Mintmark, 1942-45 (5c only), 1979- (all but 1c). Sometimes denotes absence of mintmark.

PCGS - Professional Coin Grading Service. Grading service.

PCI - Photo-certified Coin Institute. Grading service.

PF (PF60-PF70) - Proof. Type of coin production and/or Grade. Contrasts with business strike.

PL - Proof Like. Business strike, with mirrored planchet.

PNG - Professional Numismatists Guild. Dealer organization.

PQ - Premium Quality. Sometimes part of the sealed slab grade, such as a MS64 PQ (not quite good enough for MS65). Often it is just a hype adjective like "Choice" or "Select".

PR (PR60-PR70) - Proof. Type of coin production and/or Grade. Contrasts with business strike.

PVC - Poly Vinyl Chloride. An ingredient of soft plastic "flip" coin holders which will damage coins over time.

R# (R1-R8) - Rarity scale. R1 most common; R8 least common. The often used Sheldon scale is:

R8 = 1-3 known (estimated), "Unique or Nearly Unique"
R7 = 4-12 known, "Extremely Rare"
R6 = 13-30 known, "Very Rare"
R5 = 31-75 known, "Rare"
R4 = 76-200 known, "Very Scarce"
R3 = 201-500 known, "Scarce"
R2 = 501-1250 known, "Uncommon"
R1 = over 1251 known, "Common"

RB - Red-Brown. Color grade for uncirculated copper coins (BN, RB, or RD).

RD - Red. Color grade for uncirculated copper coins (BN, RB, or RD).

RIC - Roman Imperial Coinage.

RNS - Royal Numismatic Society. Collector and dealer organization.

RPC - Roman Provincial Coinage.

RPD - RePunched Date. Type of die variety.

RPM - RePunched Mintmark. Type of die variety.

RSC - Roman Silver Coinage.

S - San Francisco (California). Mintmark, 1854-1955, 1968-.

S# (S1-S295?) - Sheldon number (1949). Die variety - Large Cents, 1793-1814.

S# (S1-S9?) - Snow number (1992). Die variety - Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents, 1856-1909.

SAE (ASE) - Silver American Eagle. A one ounce silver bullion coin, issued 1986-date.

SBA - Susan B. Anthony (dollar). US coin, 1979-1981,1999.

SEGS - Sovereign Entities Grading Service. Grading service.

SLQ - Standing Liberty Quarter. US coin, 1916-1930.

SP - Specimen. Better than business strike, but not quite a proof.

TIA - Thanks In Advance. Internet phrase.

UC (UCAM) - Ultra Cameo. High grade proof.

UNC (Unc., MS60?) - Uncirculated. Grade.

V# (V1-V10?) - Valentine number (1975). Die variety - Half Dimes, 1794-1873.

VAM# (VAM1-VAM230?) - Van Allen and Mallis number (1976). Die variety - Morgan Dollars, 1878-1921.

VG (VG8, VG10) - Very Good. Grade.

VF (VF20, VF30, perhaps VF35) - Very Fine. Grade.

W - West Point (New York). Mintmark, 1984-.

WL - Walking Liberty (half dollar). US coin, 1916-1947.

XF (XF40, XF45) - eXtremely Fine. Grade.

Terms adapted from Telesphere Coins