A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L
M • N • O • P • Q-R • S • T • U • V • W • X-Z

Welcome to the Lincoln Cent Forum Glossary.
Use the alphabetical links above to navigate to the desired term.

This glossary of terms was written and compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge, ideas, words, and photos to make this growing educational resource possible. Special thanks to Richard Cooper, aka “Coop” who donated many of the photos.

Improper Alloy Mixture: During the copper alloy planchet era (pre-1982), there were instances of errors in the alloy mixture which resulted in planchets which show different ribbons of color in them, often resembling wood grain. These cents are often referred to as “wood-grain cents,” or “woodies.”

In God We Trust: Also referred to as the motto, these words appear on the top of the obverse on all Lincoln cents, as well as on other denominations.

Incuse: Devices or anomalies in negative relief or recessed into a die or coin surface. This is the opposite of raised.

Initials: The initials are the letters seen on coins that denote the designer or sculptor who made the coin’s design. On Lincoln cents, the initials may refer to:
VDB, for Victor David Brenner, the designer and sculptor of the Lincoln cent obverse design and the original wheat reverse. His initials VDB appeared at the bottom of the reverse on 1909 cents, but were removed part way through the year due to criticism of their prominence. The initials reappeared on the bust’s shoulder on the obverse in 1918, where they are still shown today.
FG, for Frank Gasparro,10th chief engraver of the United States mint from 1965 to 1981. Among other designs, he was the designer of the memorial reverse used on Lincoln cents from 1959 to 2008. His initials, FG, appear to the right of the bottom of the memorial building on the cents.
RM, for Richard Master, designer of Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky reverse in 2009.
LC, for Jim Licaretz, sculptor of Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky reverse in 2009.
CLV, for Charles L Vickers, designer and sculptor of the Formative Years in Indiana reverse used in 2009.
JI, for Joel Iskowitz, designer of the Professional Life in Illinois reverse used in 2009.
DE, for Don Everhart, sculptor of the Professional Life in Illinois reverse used in 2009.
SG, for Susan Gamble, designer of the Presidency in Washington D.C. reverse used in 2009.
JFM, for Joseph F. Menna, a renowned sculptor in both traditional and digital media, Menna was the first full-time digital artist employed by the U.S. Mint. Among many other designs, Menna was the sculptor for Susan Gamble’s 2009 Presidency in Washington D.C. reverse design for the Lincoln cent, as well as the sculptor for Lyndall Bass’ shield reverse design used on Lincoln cents from 2010 to the present.
LB, for Lyndall Bass, the artist who designed the Shield Reverse used on the Lincoln cent from 2010 until the present.

Inscription: An inscription on a coin is any of the written devices, including the motto and legend.

Interior Die Break: This is simply a very large die chip. Unfortunately, qualifying a die chip to be an interior die break can be confusing, since different experts list differing size parameters for qualification.  Please visit cuds-on-coins.com for listings of interior die breaks.   Image donated by copperlover.

Inverse Die Installation: Initially, the common practice at the mint was to use the obverse die as the hammer die. However, in the 1990s, the mint began experimenting with using the reverse die as the hammer die. By the mid to late 90s, this inverse die installation became the predominant set-up used by the mint.

Inverted Mint Mark: A mint mark that was punched into the working die upside-down. The only known Lincoln cent example of an inverted mint mark is on a 1946S cent, which has an inverted ball serif S. Since a standard S looks essentially the same when it is rotated 180 degrees, one must become familiar with the differences in the font and the serifs in order to identify this variety. Image donated by BJ Neff.

Isolated Machine Doubling: This is simply machine doubling that manifests itself in only one small area or on a single device on a coin.

Issue Variety: Unlike die varieties, which differ from normal coins due to a problem creating the intended design on a working die (Doubled dies, re-punched mint marks, etc.), an issue variety is a coin that differs because of a change in the die design itself, such as transitional and wrong design varieties, mint mark design changes within a given year, small date/large date changes, etc. This term was introduced by Charles Daughtrey and I promote its use.

A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L
M • N • O • P • Q-R • S • T • U • V • W • X-Z

Welcome to the Lincoln Cent Forum Glossary.
Use the alphabetical links above to navigate to the desired term.

This glossary of terms was written and compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge, ideas, words, and photos to make this growing educational resource possible. Special thanks to Richard Cooper, aka “Coop” who donated many of the photos.

E Pluribus Unum: Latin words meaning “Out of many, one.” These words are one of the devices that appear on the reverse of all Lincoln cents.

Early Die State: The very first coins struck by a new die are considered to be early die state. These coins are usually more prized by collectors as they exhibit the crispest devices and a lack of the attributes associated with die deterioration. These cents can sometimes exhibit proof-like features.

Early Releases: A designation used by NGC on their holders to denote coins released in the first month of a year’s production. See First Strikes.

Edge: The circumferential “third surface” of a coin on which the coin could roll or spin. On a Lincoln cent, the edge is always smooth, not reeded like on some other coinage. This term is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to the “rim,” which is a different part of the cent. The rims are the raised portions that encircle and are part of the obverse and reverse. The edge is the surface between the obverse and reverse.

Egg Nog: The favorite beverage of coppercoins.com attributor Bob Piazza. Also, a euphemism used on the forum to refer to alcoholic beverages.  Caricature courtesy of Jacob.

Ejection Doubling: See Machine Doubling

Encased Cent (Ex-encased Cent): A cent that was once kept in a bezel as a piece of jewelry or “lucky” cent. Many of these ex-encased cents will exhibit damage in the form of a flattened rim from the bezel they were in. Pictures courtesy of forum member mrmike916.

Engraver: A position at the U.S. Mint of a person responsible for conception and creation of coin designs. Notable engravers of the Lincoln cent era include Victor David Brenner, who designed the Lincoln cent’s obverse and the wheat reverse used from 1909-1958; Frank Gasparro, who designed the memorial reverse used form 1959-2008; and Joseph F. Menna who implemented the shield reverse designed by artist Lyndall Bass and used 2010-present. The 2009 cent reverse designs each had different designers and sculptors, and like the previous designers, their initials all appear on their respective designs.

Engraving: The practice of carving devices into a die. In the Lincoln cent series, many master dies had the last 1 or 2 digits of the date engraved into them after they were hubbed by the master hub. This way, the same master hub could be re-used in subsequent years.

Engraving Doubling Master hubs were usually made without the last 1 or 2 digits of the date on them, so that they could be used over again in subsequent years. This means that the final digit or 2 of the date had to be engraved into the master die after it was made. This engraving of the digits often showed inconsistencies which often resembles doubling of those digits. Just a few of the more noticeable years of this are 1960 small date on the 6, 1965 on the 5, 1973 on the 3, 1940 on the 4, 1941 on the 4, and 1944 on the 44. Photo illustrations of these can be seen Here.

Error: An abnormal coin produced by the mint resulting from a manufacturing defect in the planchet, a post-manufacturing issue with the die, or a mechanical failure of some kind during the strike. Most “mistakes” made to the die DURING its creation, such as re-punched mint marks, and doubled dies, are referred to as die varieties and are NOT considered errors by the numismatic community. The list of errors is lengthy, but include such things like off-center strikes, die clashes, lamination errors, cuds, die cracks and die chips, and misaligned die strikes or double strikes, just to name a few. The most comprehensive list of errors and examples can be seen at error-ref.com.

Extremely Fine: A grading standard of 40-49. Denoted EF or XF. See our grading guide Here.

A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L
M • N • O • P • Q-R • S • T • U • V • W • X-Z

Welcome to the Lincoln Cent Forum Glossary.
Use the alphabetical links above to navigate to the desired term.

This glossary of terms was written and compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge, ideas, words, and photos to make this growing educational resource possible. Special thanks to Richard Cooper, aka “Coop” who donated many of the photos.

D Mint Mark : A cent struck at the Denver mint will bear a letter D on the obverse below the date. (Note: The D mint mark was also used on gold coins from 1838-1861 that were struck at the Dahlonega Mint.) You can see changes in the D mint mark styles here at varietyvista.com.

Dansco: A company that sells coin albums and other coin supplies.

DE: See Initials.

Deep Cameo: See Cameo.

De-plated: See Stripped Plating.

Design Extension Anomaly: An unintentional protraction of design elements, such as trails, dimples, and wavy steps. These are believed to happen to the working die during the hubbing process, and have an unknown cause.

Design Hub Doubling: Also called a class 3 doubled die, Design Hub Doubling occurs when a die is made with 2 different hubs having different designs on them. There are some occurrences in the Lincoln series during years with both a “large date” and “small date,” where some dies were hubbed by a both a small date hub and a large date hub, thereby creating a class 3 doubled die. Below is a 1960D “small date over large date.” Also please see Jason Cuvelier’s excellent tutorial on the subject Here.

Details (grade): When a coin has surface issues that preclude a third party grading service from assigning it a full numerical grade, it is sometimes assigned a “details” grade. The details grade will be determined by the amount of wear on the coin without regard to the surface problems.

Devices: Any of the raised or incuse design elements on a coin.

Die: See Working Die or Master Die.

Die Attrition: An error to the periphery of a coin caused by damage to the hammer die created when a misalignment of the die results in it striking the edge of the collar. After repeated hits on the collar, a portion of the edge of the die is worn away, and then when the die is later properly aligned, that damaged part of the die is no longer able to strike and create the intended design on the planchet. In the case of Lincoln cents, this type of error is most often found on 1983 cents.

Die Break: When a piece of the die breaks and falls out. This term encompasses cuds (connected to the rim), die chips (small and not connected to the rim), and interior die breaks (large and not connected to the rim).

Die Cap: When a just-struck coin fails to eject the striking chamber and becomes stuck to one of the dies. If it stays stuck, it can subsequently strike other planchets fed into the striking chamber, creating a mirror-image in opposite relief of the opposing die’s design on the new planchet. (See Brockage) A die cap will continue to expand as it strikes other planchets resulting in either extreme diametric expansion (stuck to anvil die) or a “thimble-like” expansion (stuck to hammer die). The other coins struck by the die cap are called “Struck through die cap.” After a die cap has struck many other planchets, it is called a late-stage die cap. A late stage die cap will be thin enough to allow parts of the normal die design to appear on the struck planchets. (See Struck Through Late Stage Die Cap.)

Die Chip: When a piece of the die breaks and falls off, the subsequent coins struck by that die will show a raised unstruck portion that usually looks like a “blob” of extra metal on the coin. This is simply from the metal flowing into the opening in the die during the strike.

Die Clash: An error that occurs when the dies come together without a planchet between them and they strike against each other, transferring a portion of their designs onto each other. Each subsequent coin struck by these dies will show portions of the designs on the opposite sides of the coin and in opposite relief. The first picture shows clash marks of the memorial columns on the obverse,  the 2nd picture shows the back of Lincoln’s neck in bay 3, and the 3rd photo shows the upside-down Y of LIBERTY in bay 2 as well as clash remnants in bays 3 and 4.

Die Crack: A fissure in the die which will result in a raised line on a coin that is struck by that die.

Die Damage: Any unintentionally displaced metal on a die including any die break, such as die chips and die cracks, as well as any die dents, die gouges, or die abrasion.

Die Dent: Any unintentional impression into the die face. The portion of the coin struck by the die dent will show as raised metal.

Die Deterioration: Wear to the die from the process of striking coins. The amount of deterioration to the die at the time a coin was struck (see Die State) can be determined by various attributes seen on the coin itself. Wear to the die can manifest itself in the form of flow lines, ridge rings, die deterioration doubling, “mushy” devices, and progressive indirect design transfer.

Die Deterioration Doubling: A circumstance that occurs from die deterioration whereby the devices show a duplicate image on a coin. As metal must flow into the recessed areas of the die during the strike to form the devices on a coin, the edges and corners of the design elements on the die begin to wear. Eventually, this wear shows as a doubled image on the coins they strike. On Lincoln cents, the date and mint mark are often the first to show this doubling, since these devices are in the middle of a field with no other counter-relief to aid metal flow. Die deterioration doubling usually exhibits on the rim side of the devices, as in the example below. The 1955 “Poor Man’s Doubled Die” is NOT a doubled die at all, rather it is an example of die deterioration doubling. Dies in this time period were grossly “overused” resulting in many coins showing this common form of doubling. Die deterioration doubling is not generally considered collectible. Photo of the 1955 “poor man’s doubled die” is courtesy of forum member dinkyblue.  Please also see Jason Cuvelier’s excellent tutorial on the subject Here.

Die Dot: A tiny die chip that looks like a dot.

Die Gouge: A furrow of metal scraped out of a die. Like other recessed die damage, the result will be a raised section of metal on the coins the die strikes.

Die Scratch: Small scratches in the die can occur by either accidental means, or by purposeful abrasion of the die by the mint.  They might do this intentionally to try to remove die clash marks or other die damage. These die scratches are unique to each die and are therefore useful as markers for identifying a particular die. Since scratches are incuse on the die, they appear as thin raised lines on the coins.

Die State (stage): The dies that strike coins deteriorate over their life-spans. (See Die Deterioration) Coins are differentiated by how early or late in a die’s life they are struck. This can be determined by attributes (or the lack thereof) seen on the coin such as flow lines, ridge rings, “mushiness” of the devices, die deterioration doubling, and the progression of various die breaks. There are three main Die States: EDS (Early Die State), MDS ( Mid Die State), and LDS (Late Die State). On occasion, the need to further differentiate these states occurs and hence you may also see VEDS (Very Early Die State), EMDS (Early-Mid Die State), MLDS (Mid-Late Die State), and VLDS (Very Late Die State). Furthermore, each of these states can be further broken down into “stages.”
Visit this thread for more valuable information: http://lincolncentresource.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30508

Die Subsidence (sunken die): An error where a portion of the die face sinks into the die resulting in a raised portion on one face of the coins it strikes, and often exhibits weakness of strike of the opposite side. The most well-known instance in the Lincoln series is on a 1924S, commonly known as the “goiter” cent.

Die Variety: An abnormal coin struck from a die that had a mistake made during the transfer of its design onto the die. Die varieties include doubled dies, re-punched and misplaced mint marks, over mint marks, dual mint marks, and re-punched and misplaced dates. (The practice of punching the date into the die stopped before the Lincoln Cent series began, so there are no re-punched or misplaced dates on Lincoln cents) These are NOT considered “errors.”

Distended Hub Doubling: Also called a Class 6 Doubled Die, distended hub doubling occurs when the design elements on a working hub are flattened out during the hubbing of a die, most likely because the die it is making was not properly annealed. The die now will also exhibit these stretched out design elements, as will all of the coins struck by that die. Distended Hub Doubling usually manifests itself on the devices nearer the rim.

Distorted Hub Doubling: Also called a Class 2 Doubled Die, distorted hub doubling occurs when a die is hubbed with 2 different hubs, one of which had distended design elements from either hubbing many other dies prior or because of a problem in the annealing process. If the normal hub was used before the distorted hub, the doubling will show on the rim side of the devices. If the distorted hub was used before the normal hub, then the doubling will show toward the center of the coin. Please see Jason Cuvelier’s excellent tutorial on the subject Here.

Division Lines (Separation Lines): The lines that show the separation between the doubled devices on a doubled die. These lines are often accompanied by “notching” at the ends or serifs of the doubled devices.

Double Die: An incorrect term often misused in place of the intended terms “doubled die,” or “Hub Doubling.”

Doubled Die: A coin that has been struck by a die which experienced an unintended misalignment or design inconsistency during the hubbings used to create it, resulting in a “doubling” of the devices on the coin.  Doubled Dies are classified by 9 distinct classes. Class 1 (Rotated), Class 2 (Distorted), Class 3 (Design), Class 4 (Offset), Class 5 (Pivoted), Class 6 (Distended), Class 7 (Modified), Class 8 (Tilted), and Class 9 (Shifted). Please see the individual listings of each class for definitions and examples.

Double Strike: A coin that failed to completely eject from the striking chamber and was therefore either partially or completely struck a second time. This should not be confused with Strike Doubling, which is another term for machine doubling.

Dropped Letter: This is a type of struck-through where the “gunk” that is stuck in a filled die falls out and lands on a planchet before being struck. The “gunk” that is in the shape of a letter or digit is then struck into the planchet producing an incuse extra letter or digit. It could be oriented normally or in mirror-image, depending on how the gunk landed on the planchet.  The photo below shows a dropped letter B from LIBERTY.

Dryer Coin: A coin that has been extremely damaged outside of the mint by being repeatedly hit, similar to what would happen to it if it tumbled around in a dryer or similar device. In an actual dryer, the heat would soften the metal increasing the damage.

Dual Mint Mark: A coin that was struck by a die having 2 completely separate and different mint marks punched into it. Not to be confused with “over mint mark,” which is two overlapping and different mint marks, such as a “D over S” or “S over D,” dual mint marks will be completely separated form each other. In the case of Lincoln cents, there were believed to be 2 known instances of a dual mint mark. A 1956D with a possible rogue S, whose validity is disagreed upon by various experts, and a 1980D with a rogue “S” which has been debunked by all major attributors after examinations of early die-state specimens showed the anomaly to be a series of die gouges.

This acronym/abbreviation list was compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. Please refer to the forum glossary here for further definitions of terms.

1DO= coppercoins.com Doubled Die Obverse prefix
1DR= coppercoins.com Doubled Die Reverse prefix
1MM= coppercoins.com Re-punched Mint Mark prefix
1OM= coppercoins.com Over Mint Mark prefix

ACG= Accugrade (coin grading service)
ADC= maddieclashes.com Atypical Die Clash
ADO= Abraded Die Obverse
ADR= Abraded Die Reverse
AG= About Good (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.
ANA= American Numismatic Association
ANACS= American Numismatic Association Certification Service
ANS= American Numismatic Society
AT= Artificial Toning
AU= About Uncirculated (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.

BIE= Die chip between the B and E of LIBERTY that often looks like an ‘I’
BN=Brown
Breen#= Walter Breen listing
BRPM= Breen Re-punched Mint Mark prefix
BS= Business Strike
BU= Brilliant Uncirculated
BV= Bullion Value

CAC= Certified Acceptance Corporation (Grading Service)
CAM= Cameo
CAM= Close AM(RDV-007); see also CLAM (CLAM is preferred to avoid confusion)
CC= Condition Census (Highest Grade Known)
CC= www.coppercoins.com
CCL(T1)= maddieclashes.com Counter Clash Type 1 prefix
CCL(T2)= maddieclashes.com Counter Clash Type 2 prefix
CCW= Counter Clockwise
CDDO= Crawford Doubled Die Obverse prefix
CDDR= Crawford Doubled Die Reverse prefix
CDN= Coin Dealer Newsletter (The Greysheet)
CH= Choice
CLAM= Close AM (RDV-007); see also CAM (CLAM is preferred to avoid confusion)
CML= CONECA Master Listing
COMM= Crawford Over Mint Mark prefix
CONECA= Combined Organization of Numismatic Error Collectors of America
CPG= Cherrypickers’ Guide
CU= Copper
CU= cuds-on-coins.com Cud prefix
CUD= Major die break connected to the rim
CW= Clockwise
CWR= Customer Wrapped Roll

D= Denver Mint Mark
DC= maddieclashes.com Die Clash
DCAM= Deep Cameo
D/D= D over D (Re-punched Mint Mark)
DDD= Die Deterioration Doubling
DDO= Doubled Die Obverse
DDR= Doubled Die Reverse
DEO= traildies.com Obverse Trail Die prefix
DER= traildies.com Reverse Trail Die prefix
DMR= Die Marriage Registry
D/S= D over S (Over Mint Mark)

EC= Early Childhood (2009 Reverse Design Variation) Formally “Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky”
EDS= Early Die State
EF= Extremely Fine (grading standard); See also XF. See our grading guide Here.
EMDS= Early Mid Die State
EPU= E Pluribus Unum

F= Fine (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.
FDC= maddieclashes.com Floating Die Clash prefix
FG= Frank Gasparro
FMV= Fair Market Value
FR-2= Fair (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.
FS= Fivaz-Stanton Prefix (Cherrypickers’ Guide)
FUN= Florida United Numismatists
FY= Formative Years (2009 Reverse Design Variation) Formally “Formative Years in Indiana”

G= Good (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.

ICG= Independent Coin Grading
IDB= cuds-on-coins.com Interior Die Break prefix
IGWT= In God We Trust
IMM= Inverted Mint Mark

K#= “Clock Hand Position” on a coin used to describe the pivot point for Class 5 doubled dies.
KM=Krause-Mishler prefix

LAM= Lamination Error
LCF= Lincoln Cent Forum
LCR= Lincoln Cent Resource
LD= Large Date
LDS= Late Die State
LMC= Lincoln Memorial Cent
LMDS= Late Mid Die State
LP1= 2009 Lincoln cent with “Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky” reverse design
LP2= 2009 Lincoln cent with “Formative Years in Indiana” reverse design
LP3= 2009 Lincoln cent with “Professional Life in Illinois” reverse design
LP4= 2009 Lincoln cent with “Presidency in Washington D.C.” reverse design
LWC= Lincoln Wheat Cent

MAD= Misaligned Die
MD= Machine Doubling; See also MDD
MD#= varietyvista.com Master Die prefix
MDC= maddieclashes.com Misaligned Die Clash prefix
MDD= Machine Damage Doubling; See also MD. (This is NOT Master Die Doubling; See MDO and MDR)
MDO= Master Die Doubling Obverse
MDR= Master Die Doubling Reverse
MDS= Mid Die State
MH#= varietyvista.com Master Hub prefix
MLDS= Mid to Late Die State
MM= Mint Mark
MMS= varietyvista.com Mint Mark Style prefix
MPL= Matte Proof Lincoln Cent
MS= Mint State (grading standard) See our grading guide Here.

NCADD= National Collectors Association of Die Doubling
NDCCA= National Die Chip Collectors Association
NGC= Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
NLG= Numismatic Literary Guild
NT= Natural Toning
NTC= Numistrust Corporation

OBV= Obverse
OBW= Original Bank Wrapped Roll
OC= Off-center
ODV= varietyvista.com Obverse Design Variety prefix
OMM= Over Mint Mark; Also CONECA‘s Over Mint Mark prefix
OP= Original Poster (Forum thread originator)

PO-1= Poor  (grading standard)  See our grading guide Here.
PCGS= Professional Coin Grading Service
PCI= Photo-Certified Coin Institute
PF= Proof; see also PR
PIDT= Progressive Indirect Design Transfer
P-L= Proof-Like
PL= Professional Life (2009 Reverse Design Variation) Formally “Professional Life in Illinois”
PMD= Post Mint Damage (This term is no longer preferred; See PSD)
PO-1= Poor (grading standard)
POP= Population Report
PQ= Proof Qualities
PR= Proof; see also PF
PUP= Pick-up Point
PSD= Post-strike Damage (Usage now preferred over PMD)
PVC= Polyvinyl Chloride
PY= Presidential Years (2009 Reverse Design Variation) Formally “Presidency in Washington D.C.

QDO= Quadrupled Die Obverse
QDR= Quadrupled Die Reverse

RB= Red/Brown
RCD= cuds-on-coins.com Retained Cud prefix
RD= Red
RDV= varietyvista.com Reverse Design Variety prefix
RED= Re-engraved Die (CONECA)
REV= Reverse
RIDB= cuds-on-coins.com Retained Interior Die Break prefix
ROT= Rotated Die Strike
RPD= Re-punched Date (It is now believed that there are NO Lincoln cents with re-punched dates)
RPM= Re-punched Mint Mark; Also CONECA‘s Re-punched Mint Mark prefix
RPMP= Re-punched Mint Mark Punch

S= San Francisco Mint Mark
SD= Small Date
SD= cuds-on-coins.com Split Die prefix
S/D= S over D (Over Mint Mark)
SEGS= Sovereign Entities Grading Service
SMS= Special Mint Set
SP= Specimen
S/S= S over S (Re-punched Mint Mark)

TDC= maddieclashes.com Typical Die Clash
TDO= Tripled Die Obverse
TDR= Tripled Die Reverse
TDV= Transitional Design Variety
TEVEC= The Error-Variety Education Consortium
TPG= Third Party Grading Service

UCAM= Ultra Cameo
UNC= Uncirculated
URS= Universal Rarity Scale
UVC= Universal Variety Code

VDB= Victor David Brenner
VEDS= Very Early Die State
VG= Very Good (grading standard) See our grading guide Here
VF= Very Fine (grading standard) See our grading guide Here
VLDS= Very Late Die State
VP= NGC’s VarietyPlus holder designation
VV= Varietyvista.com

WAM= Wide AM(RDV-006)
WDDO= Wexler Doubled Die Obverse prefix (doubleddie.com)
WDDR= Wexler Doubled Die Reverse prefix (doubleddie.com)
WDV= Wrong Design Variety
WDMM= Wexler Displaced Mint Mark (doubleddie.com)
WOMM= Wexler Over Mint Mark prefix (doubleddie.com)
WRPM= Wexler Re-punched Mint Mark prefix (doubleddie.com)
WS= traildies.com Wavy Steps
WTRD= Wexler Transitional Reverse Design prefix (doubleddie.com)

XF= Extremely Fine (grading standard); See also EF. See our grading guide Here.

YN= Young Numismatist

Zn= Zinc

A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L
M • N • O • P • Q-R • S • T • U • V • W • X-Z

Welcome to the Lincoln Cent Forum Glossary.
Use the alphabetical links above to navigate to the desired term.

This glossary of terms was written and compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge, ideas, words, and photos to make this growing educational resource possible. Special thanks to Richard Cooper, aka “Coop” who donated many of the photos.

Galvano: A large plaster or clay disc, about 12 to 15 inches in diameter, onto which a mint engraver creates the original design for a coin. The design is then reduced in size and transferred onto a master hub by a machine called a reduction lathe. (See Janvier Reduction Lathe.)

Garage Job: Also called a squeeze job, vice job, or hammer job, this is intentional post-strike damage when a coin is smashed against another coin or object, usually in an attempt to make it look like a genuine mint error. When squeezed or smashed against another coin, a mirror-image in reverse relief of each coin’s devices will transfer onto the other. Below you can see a mirrored incuse LIBERTY on the coin as the result of being pressed into another cent.

Gas Bubbles: See Blistered Plating.

Gem (BU): A somewhat nebulous term to refer to higher-end uncirculated coins. In general, Gem (MS 65-66) is better than “Choice” but less than “Superb.”

Ghost Image: See Progressive Indirect Design Transfer or Greasy Ghost or Struck Through Late Stage Die Cap.

Goiter Cent: See Die Subsidence.

Good: A coin grading standard of 4-6. See our grading guide Here.

Gouge: See Die Gouge.

Grade: A coin’s grade is reported by an alphanumeric code consisting of 1 or 2 letters indicating its general condition, followed by a number from 1-70, with 70 being best. Coin grades are as follows:
PO1 = Poor, FR2 = Fair, AG3 = About Good, G4 to G6 = Good, VG8 to VG10 = Very Good, F12 to F15 = Fine, VF20 to VF35 = Very Fine, XF(or EF)40 to XF45 = Extremely Fine, AU50 to AU58 = About Uncirculated, and MS60 to MS70 = Mint State. Please see our grading guide Here for more details.

Gram: The most common unit of measure used to indicate a coin’s weight. Lincoln cents made from 1909 to mid-1982 (excepting 1943) should weigh 3.11 grams. 1943 cents should weigh 2.7 grams. From mid 1982 to the present, they should weigh 2.5 grams.

Greaser: See Struck Through Filled Die.

Greasy Ghost: A ghost-like image of Lincoln’s bust seen on the reverse of some Lincoln cents caused by a build-up of grease on the reverse die. Since Lincoln’s bust is a large incuse element on the obverse die, the striking pressure on the reverse die corresponding to this area is lower, and therefore grease tends to collect on the reverse die in this area and in the general shape of the bust. Coins struck-through this grease collection will show an incuse ghost-like image of the bust on the reverse. This should not be confused with Progressive Indirect Design Transfer, which is another cause of a ghost-like image of the bust on the reverse of a coin. Images donated by mrmike916, and Roller.

Grease Mold Doubling (Stiff Die Fill Raised Design Element Doubling): error-ref.com‘s term for a recently discovered form of doubling being found on cents from the mid to late 1990s, affecting the terminal digit of the date. In this term, the word “mold” is used as in “jello mold,” not as in “black mold,” or fungus. Presumably, a greasy/gunky film covering the die surface can become hard enough from the striking process that it forms a solid mold of the design element. If this solid mold of gunk begins to shift into the field from its original position, and since it is in the same shape as that portion of the die, it can create a raised design element in an offset position. Of course, since this mold will be somewhat smashed during the strike, the slightly raised element will be larger that the original design element. In addition to the link at the beginning of the entry, please also see this article by Mike Diamond for more information. The images below were donated by jallengomez and Joel.

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Welcome to the Lincoln Cent Forum Glossary.
Use the alphabetical links above to navigate to the desired term.

This glossary of terms was written and compiled by Will Brooks with the help of our forum members. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed knowledge, ideas, words, and photos to make this growing educational resource possible. Special thanks to Richard Cooper, aka “Coop” who donated many of the photos.

Railroad Rim: See Partial Collar Strike

Raised: Any device or anomaly or a coin in positive relief above the field surface of a coin. This is the opposite of incuse.

Raw: Refers to a coin that has not been graded, attributed, and holdered (slabbed) by a third party grading service.

RDV-006: Varietyvista.com’s assigned number for the Lincoln cent’s reverse design designated for use on business strike cents from 1989-1992, and on proof cents from 1989 until 2008, excepting 1993. This is a notable variation because it also appeared on the reverse of some 1988 business strike cents (a transitional design variety known as ’88 reverse of ’89) and also on the reverse of some 1998, 1999, and 2000 business strike cents. (Wrong design varieties called wide AMs, due to the wider space between the A and M of AMERICA.) Please see John Miller’s excellent tutorial Here.

RDV-007: Varietyvista.com’s assigned number for the Lincoln cent’s reverse design designated for use only on business strikes from 1993-2008, and proof cents in 1993. This is a notable variation because it also appeared on the reverse of some 1992 business strike cents, as well as some 1998 and 1999 proof cents, known as close AMs or CLAMs, due to relative closeness of the A and M in AMERICA. (See also Transitional Design Variety and Wrong Design Variety.) Please see John Miller’s excellent tutorial Here.

Re-plated: Although any cent can be re-plated, this is most often seen on 1943 cents. The zinc-plated steel was frequently re-plated with various metals in an attempt to make them look uncirculated. This is considered post-strike damage and devalues the coin. A coin that has been plated or re-plated outside the mint will not have radial flow lines, be lacking mint luster, may show bubbling or pooling of metal especially along the devices, and be off color.

Re-punched Date: The practice of punching the date into the die ended in 1908; therefore, there are no re-punched dates in the Lincoln cent series.

Re-punched Mint Mark: On Lincoln cent business strikes, the mint marks were punched by hand into the Working dies up through 1989, and on proof coinage until 1985. Sometimes a punch contacted the die more than once; sometimes purposefully due to the first punching being unsatisfactory, or sometimes accidentally due to the punch bouncing or skipping during the initial hit. If subsequent hits by the punch did not line up exactly with previous punchings, a secondary mint mark would be created on the die and all the coins it struck. Most of these re-punchings were just slightly rotated from the first, and can be identified by noting split serifs. Many publications call these “tilted” rpms, but “rotated” might be a better term, since a punch could also be tilted on an angle of incidence into the die.

Red: The original mint color of a Lincoln cent. Cents naturally turn brown from exposure to environment and circulation. Third-party grading services denote a cent as “red,” “red/brown,” “or brown.”

Red Book: Also known as A Guide Book to U.S Coins, the Red Book is a most popular resource for coin values and information.

Red/Brown: A color designation used by third-party grading services to denote a coin that still has some original mint “red” color, but is starting to turn “brown” from environmental and circulation exposure.

Reduction Lathe Doubling: This form of doubling occurred on several master hubs in the Lincoln cent series. Since master hubs were often re-used over a span of years, this type of doubling will show on EVERY cent struck over a period of years that the master hub was used, and therefore carries no premium. Some refer to this as “series doubling.” The Janvier reduction lathe was the machine that was used to transfer the image from the galvano to the master hub. There were 2 arms, one which traced out the image on the galvano, while the other cut a smaller version of the design onto the master hub. This would require many passes by the arm to do, and if there was a slight slip of the arm during the process, the design would be recreated in a slightly different place, creating this doubling. Some of the master hubs that had reduction lathe doubling on them were:
1. The 1909 reverse master hub, showing on the bottom of some of the letters in CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This showed up for several subsequent years as well.  Images by Jallengomez.

2. The 1909 obverse master hub on the BE of LIBERTY and the W of We. The extra thin bar on the vertical of the B and the extra notches on the W can be seen spanning many master hubs and exhibits for many years until they were redesigned in 1955.

3. The 1933 obverse master hub and its successors used in 1935, and from 1937 until 1955, which showed a bold doubled forehead and front hair curl.

4. The D of God had “doubled” vertical bar starting with the 1922 Master Hub and continuing until the mid 50s.

Relief: In numismatics, relief refers to the difference between the high and low points in the coin’s design elements. However, when preceded by the word “in,” as in “the anomaly is in releif,” it usually means raised.

Retained Cud: This is a rim-to-rim die break that hasn’t completely fallen out of the die. There is usually some lateral or vertical shifting of the broken piece, which will show on the coins it strikes, although the design will be largely intact in that broken area on the coin itself.  Please visit cuds-on-coins.com to see listings for retained cuds.

Retained Interior Die Break: This is an interior die break that hasn’t completely fallen out of the die. Since the piece hasn’t fallen completely out, some design elements may still be seen in the area on the coins it strikes, even though there may be lateral or elevation shifts. Please visit cuds-on-coins.com for listings of retained interior die breaks.  Photos donated by Bella.

Retained Lamination: This is simply a lamination peel that is still attached to the coin.

Retained Struck-through: This is simply a struck through error where the foreign object is still attached to the coin.

Reverse: The side of a coin commonly referred to a the “tails” side and bears the secondary design. It is the opposite side of the obverse. On Lincoln cents, there have been 7 different major reverse designs used.
The “Wheat” reverse from 1909-1958.
The “Memorial” reverse from 1959-2008
The “Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky” reverse used only in 2009
The “Formative Years in Indiana” reverse used only in 2009
The “Professional Life in Illinois” reverse used only in 2009
The “Presidency in Washington D.C.” Reverse used only in 2009
The “Shield” reverse used from 2010 to the present.
(See individual listings for each of these issues for more information.)

Reverse Design Variety: Any of the minor or major reverse design changes over a series’ run. The RDV# designations commonly used for Lincoln cents are proprietary to (and can be seen at) varietyvista.com.

Riddler: A sifting device which removes both oversized and undersized coin blanks, planchets, or coins, allowing only the proper sized ones to continue on in the coin production process. Also, one of the arch-enemies of Batman.

Ridge Ring: One of the many manifestations of die deterioration, a ridge ring is a circular area of distortion that goes around the perimeter of a coin near the rim and is the result of cold-metal flow toward the rim from the striking process. These are most commonly seen in the 1980s.  Photos courtesy of jay4202472000.

Rim: The rim is the raised part of a coin that encircles the perimeter on the obverse and reverse of a coin. A proto-rim is created by the upset mill and the finished rim we see on a coin is completed by the striking process. Do not confuse this with the edge of a coin.

Rim Burr: This is a form of pre-strike damage to the rim caused by the feeder finger, whereby a portion of the proto-rim is “sliced” or “gouged” up and subsequently struck into the coin face. The burr can be still partially attached to the rim, or can be completely detached and struck into the coin face in any location and orientation. Many of these are being found recently on shield cents. Photos courtesy of forum member Jacob.

Rim Cud: A cud appearing only on the rim of a coin and is the result of a part of the die’s rim gutter being broken off.

Rippled Coin: This is a form of post-strike damage that causes a doubling (or multiple) effect on the devices. Just as the name suggests, the coin exhibits ripples on its surface, often following the contours of the devices giving them a doubled/tripled/quadrupled appearance. The exact cause(s) are unknown, but contact with an acidic substance is one theory. Photos courtesy of forum member Liz.

RM: See Initials.

Rockwell Hardness Test: A test done at the mint to determine if a planchet or die is of appropriate hardness. The test involves pressing a small metal ball into the planchet or die and measuring the depth of the resulting cavity. This smooth round or oval cavity can be sometimes seen on struck coins. Please visit this link for more information and photo examples. http://conecaonline.org/content/RockwellHardnessTest.html

Roll: A determinate number of coins of a like denomination held in a paper wrapper. A full Lincoln cent roll has 50 cents in it.

Rolled Thin (or Thick) Planchet Stock: The sheet metal from which coin blanks are cut can sometimes be off-spec, being too thin or too thick. Coin blanks cut from rolled-thin stock will result in an thinner, underweight coin and, because of its thinness, may not receive a full strike. A coin blank cut from rolled-thick stock will be thicker and overweight. A cent should be 1.52 mm thick. Copper-alloy cents should weigh 3.11 grams, and copper-plated zinc cents should weigh 2.5 grams.

Roller Lines: These are very thin parallel striations, often seen on both the obverse and reverse going in the same direction. Though sometimes blamed on improper alloy mixture, these thinner, more even lines are more likely from dirty or damaged rollers from the rolling mill when it was reducing the planchet stock to the correct thickness for coin production. More commonly seen in the late 70s and early 80s. Photo courtesy of jmangham.

Rotated Die Strike: This is when a coin is struck by dies that are out of correct rotational orientation with respect to each other. When you turn a normally orientated U.S. coin over in a “north to south” or “top to bottom” direction, the design on the opposite side should now also be correctly oriented for viewing. This will not be the case if the dies are out of rotation. The mint tolerance for die rotation is 15 degrees, but coins with struck by rotated dies don’t start to command a good premium until the die rotation is much greater than that. There are several instances in the Lincoln series with the most well-known being a 1994 with 165 degree rotation.  Below is a 1994 with 165 degree rotation, and a 1910 showing 90 degree rotation.  Photo of the 1910 courtesy of forum member duck620.

Rotated Hub Doubling: Also called a class 1 doubled die, this type of hub doubling results in the most dramatic and coveted of doubled dies. This occurs when a second hubbing of a die is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise from the first, from the center point of the die, thereby creating equally strong doubling around the entire perimeter of the coin face of the coins it strikes. The most well-known doubled dies in the Lincoln series (and in the entirety of numismatics) are class 1, such as the 1969S 1DO-001 and the 1955 1DO-001. Please see Jason Cuvelier’s excellent tutorial on the subject Here.