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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.
Ultra Cameo: See Cameo.
Uncirculated: A coin in the same condition that it was when leaving the mint. An uncirculated coin can still show some contact marks from other coins and objects during its movements and packaging at the mint, but will have no actual circulation wear.
Universal Rarity Scale: A scale developed by Q. David Bowers to indicate the number of known specimens of any particular issue or variety.
URS-0 None known
URS-1 1 known, unique
URS-2 2 known
URS-3 3 or 4 known
URS-4 5 to 8 known
URS-5 9 to 16 known
URS-6 17 to 32 known
URS-7 33 to 64 known
URS-8 65 to 125 known
URS-9 126 to 250 known
URS-10 251 to 500 known
URS-11 501 to 1,000 known
URS-12 1,001 to 2,000 known
URS-13 2,001 to 4,000 known
URS-14 4,001 to 8,000 known
URS-15 8,001 to 16,000 known
URS-16 16,001 to 32,000 known
URS-17 32,001 to 65,000 known
URS-18 65,001 to 125,000 known
URS-19 125,001 to 250,000 known
URS-20 250,001 to 500,000 known
etc.
Universal Variety Code: A mostly obsolete attribution numbering system once used by CONECA.
Unplated Cent: A mint error where a zinc-core planchet failed to have the copper plating put on it, either totally or partially. A genuine uncirculated unplated cent should exhibit flow lines and mint luster unlike a cent who’s plating was stripped outside of the mint. For more detailed information and illustrations, please see Jason Cuvelier’s tutorial Here.
Upset Mill: A machine that squeezes a coin blank into a smaller diameter creating a proto-rim on it. Once the blank has been through this process, it is called a planchet.