Terms used by Coin Collectors

This Coin World article does a good job of explaining the difference between common terms like types, varieties, subtypes and die varieties. If you don’t know the difference, it’s definitely worth a read.

Hobby terms like “type” and “variety” can confuse new collectors, especially when some hobbyists use them interchangeably (they shouldn’t).

Add terms like “subtype” and “die states” to the lexicon, and even more experienced collectors can feel the need to reach for a good numismatic glossary.

Understanding hobby jargon offers more than just having a strong vocabulary. It can arm a collector with knowledge that will be useful when dealing with those who inaccurately use these specialized terms or even deliberately misuse them.

Knowing the difference between “die variety” and “die state” can help a coin collector determine whether a coin being offered as one or the other is accurately described (key to understanding whether a particular piece is accurately priced).

The terms “type,” “variety” and “die state” are commonly encountered in the coin collecting community, so all are defined here. “Subtype,” also defined, is encountered less frequently, but should be used more widely, Coin World staff believes.

Read the full article.