Coin Collecting Glossary

D	Mintmark used on gold coins of the Dahlonega, Georgia, Mint from 1838 to 1861 and on coins of all denominations struck at the Denver, Colorado, Mint from 1906 to the present.
D-Mint	A term used for the gold coinage struck at the branch Mint in Dahlonega, Georgia, from 1838 to 1861, and for the coinage struck at the branch Mint in Denver, Colorado, from 1906 to the present.
Date	The numerals on a coin representing the year in which it was minted.
Date Set	A collection of coins all marked with the same year
DC	Deep Cameo.
DCAM	Short for Deep Cameo.
DDO	Doubled Die Obverse.
Dealer	Someone whose occupation is buying, selling, and trading numismatic material.
Debased	This refers to underweight coins or coins whose precious metal content is inferior to legal standards.
Deep Cameo	The term applied to coins, usually Proofs and prooflike coins, that have deeply frosted devices and lettering that contrast with the fields - often called “black and white” cameos.
Deep Mirror Prooflike	Any coin that has deeply reflective mirror-like fields.
Demonetized	Removed from circulation or declared not to be legal tender.
Denomination	The face value of a coin. The value assigned by a government to a specific coin.
Denticles	The tooth-like devices around the rim seen on many coins. Originally these are somewhat irregular, later much more uniform - the result of better preparatory and striking machinery.
Dentils	Short for denticles.
Denver Mint	The Denver Mint was established in 1906. It had formerly been an Assay Office since 1863. Today, this Mint manufactures coins of all denominations for general circulation, medals, coin dies, stores gold and silver bullion, manufactures uncirculated coin sets and commemorative coins. This mint uses the “D” mintmark.
Design	A particular motif on a coin or other numismatic item. The Seated Liberty, Barber, Morgan, etc. are examples of designs.
Design Type	A specific motif placed upon coinage which may be used for several denominations and subtypes, e.g., the Liberty Seated design type used for silver coins from half dimes through dollars and various subtypes therein.
Designer	The individual is responsible for a particular motif used for a numismatic series. The initials of the designer are normally found on the coin just below the portrait.
Device	Any specific design element. Often refers to the principal design element.
Device Punch	A steel rod with a raised device on the end used to punch the element into a working die. This technique was used before hubbed dies became the norm.
Die	A steel rod that is engraved, punched or hubbed with devices, lettering, the date, and other emblems.
Die Alignment	Term to indicate the relative position of the obverse and reverse dies. When the dies are out of alignment, several things can happen: If the dies are out of parallel, weakness may be noted in a quadrant of the coin's obverse and the corresponding part of the reverse; and if the dies are spaced improperly, the resultant coins may have overall weakness; if the dies are spaced too close together, the resultant coin may be well struck but the dies wear more quickly.
Die Breaks	Raised irregular areas on a coin, the result of metal from the planchet being forced through a portion of the die which has broken and fallen out during the minting process. Dies are made of steel and they crack from use and have to be checked often. When the die breaks apart, the resultant break will result in a full, or retained, cud depending on whether the broken piece falls from the die or not.
Die Crack	Raised, irregular lines on a coin, the result of a die having cracked and metal being forced through those cracks at the time of striking
Die Line	These are the raised lines on the coins that result from the polish lines on the die, which are incuse, resulting in the raised lines on the coins.
Die Polish(ing)	An area of raised lines or highly reflective area of a coin, most often in the fields, that resulted from striking from dies that had been recently polished.
Die Rust	Rust that has accumulated on a die that was not stored properly.
Die Stage	There are two definitions for this term. One, many numismatists use it as a synonym for die state. Two, some numismatists use the term die stage to refer to the specific status of a certain die state.
Die State	A readily identified point in the life of a coinage die. Often dies clash and are polished, crack, break, etc., resulting in different stages of the die. These are called die states. Some coins have barely distinguishable die states, while others go through multiple distinctive ones.
Die Striations	Raised lines on coins that were struck with polished dies. As more coins are struck with such dies, the striations become fainter until most disappear.
Die Trial	A test striking of a particular dies in a different metal.
Die Variety	A coin that can be linked to a given set of dies because of characteristics possessed by those dies and imparted to the coin at the time it was struck.
Die Wear	Deterioration in a die caused by excessive use. This may evidence itself on coins produced with that die in a few indistinct letters or numerals or, in extreme cases, a loss of detail throughout the entire coin.
Dime	The denomination, one-tenth of a dollar, issued since 1796 by the United States.
Ding	Jargon term for a small to medium size mark.
Dipped	A term applied to a coin that has been placed in a commercial cleaning liquid, it can be a mild acid wash that removes the toning from most coins. Some dip solutions employ other chemicals, such as bases, to accomplish a similar result. Dipping coins will remove tarnish, natural toning or dirt from a coin.
Dipping Solution	Any of the commercial dips available on the market, usually acid-based.
Disme	The original spelling of dime, the s silent and thought to have been pronounced to rhyme with steam. (This variation was used in Mint documents until the 1830s and was officially changed by the Coinage Act of 1837.)
DMPL	Deep Mirror Prooflike
DNC	Did Not Cross (Grading fees still apply)
Doctored	A term used for a numismatic item that has been enhanced by chemical or other means. Usually, this is used in a deprecating way.
Double Eagle	Literally two eagles, or twenty dollars.
Double Edge Lettering-Inverted	It is normally a coin sent through the edge lettering device a second time with one set of lettering upside down. It also includes doubling any design element due to the slippage of the edge lettering device, such as a P mintmark over the 9 of the date.
Double Edge Lettering-Overlap	It is normally a coin sent through the edge lettering device a second time with the lettering in the same direction. It also includes doubling of many design element due to slippage of the edge lettering device, such as a P mintmark over the 9 of the date.
Double(d) die	A die that has been struck more than once by a hub in misaligned positions, resulting in a doubling of design elements. When this doubled die is used and area or the entire devices of one side of the coin appears doubled.
Double(d)-Die	Jargon for the rare 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent variety.
Double-Struck	A condition that results when a coin is not ejected from the dies and is struck a second time. Such a coin is said to be double-struck. Triple-struck coins and other multiple strikings also are known. Proofs are usually double-struck on purpose to sharpen their details; this is sometimes only visible under magnification.
DPG	Daily Price Guide
DPL	Deep Prooflike
Draped Bust	The design attributed to Mint engraver Robert Scot that features Miss Liberty with a drape across her bust. Scot presumably copied the design after a portrait by Gilbert Stuart.
Drift Mark	An area on a coin, often rather long, that has a discoloured, streaky look. This is the result of impurities or foreign matter in the dies. One theory is that burnt wood was rolled into the strips from which the planchets were cut, resulting in these black streaks.
Dull	A term for a numismatic item that is lacklustre. This may be the result of cleaning, oxidation, or other environmental conditions.

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