How To Identify Your Coin... Via Diagrams, Photos & Definitions
Those of us who don't necessarily collect coins, but happen to have found some interesting coins in our pocket change (or have inherited a hand-me-down coin collection)... we need some of the most basic coin facts spelled out for us.
What follows are some coin diagrams and photos that will help you describe your coin to others (say, if you want to sell it online). Plus, coin glossaries and definitions that will be helpful as you learn more about the coins in your possession.
#1 Click on the photo below from the Coin Resource site to learn about each of the key parts of a coin, including:
- device
- rim
- edge
- obverse
- reverse
- date
- fields
- denomination
- mint marks
- legend
- motto
- exergue
- dentils
CoinResource.com is an excellent site for novice coin collectors!
#2 Click on the following photo to learn more about the anatomy of a coin. The Coins site at About.com has a wealth of resources available for beginners including this fun slideshow describing:
- the obverse and reverse sides of a coin;
- the placement of the legend, rim, and field on a coin;
- the location of the motto, mint mark, and edge of a coin;
- an explanation of the portrait, date, and designer's initials;
- the layers of a coin with a copper core, nickel layer, and reeded edges; and
- the upset rim, reeded edge, and portrait on a proof coin.
...The best part? At the end, there's a quiz!
#3 And finally, coin terms and abbreviations can be confusing. Check out these coin glossaries which describe the most popular words used to identify and describe U.S. coins. Each is a little different in its own way...
Coin Collecting Words & Their Meanings
Jandy,
You have a 1907 (MCMVII) Saint-Gaudens $20 gold coin ("double eagle"). The LEAST valuable of these are worth around $750-1,000. Certain varieties are actually worth tens of thousands of dollars if in mint-state condition.
If you are interested, you may want to have a coin dealer evaluate the coin both for its grade and variety to determine a more exact value.
Good luck!
Jandy,
If you have a MCMVII $20 gold coin with a design of Miss Liberty walking toward you on the heads side ("obverse") and eagle flying before the sun on the tails side ("reverse"), then you have a 1907 Saint-Gaudens $20 double eagle.
The LEAST valuable of these are worth around $750-1,000 and the most valuable are worth tens of thousands of dollars (if the design is "high relief" -- standing thickly off the rest of the coin). You may want to have a coin dealer look at your coin to determine both its grade and design variety.
I have a United States of America twenty dollar 3" "gold coin" w/ Lady Liberty on one side and an eagle w/ sun on back with the letters MGMVII on the lady side, any idea what it is worth, ..or just the $20.00, thanking~you.
i have a coin that on one side the date looks like it is either 1918 or 1818 and on the same side it has like a 2 headed bird with a crown at the top of the heads and the 2 feet look like they are holding a sabre and a crown. the date is at the bottom and between the date and the bird it has the letters H and M. on the other side it kinda looks like this - 2
konbh
kh
-----
E.M.
but it looks like it is in a different language. and it has got a crown at the top and like a reeth of plants that start from the middle bottom and go up to the crown at the top.
could you tell me any information about this coin and how much it may be worth thanks.
I found a a 1946 wheat penny in my collection that i can't find any info on. where it says in God we trust, the word trust is stamped a second time backwards. the head looks to be stamped twice too. where it says liberty, the word liberty was partially stamped a second time on the neck. can anyone tell me about this coin and how much it might be worth?
Hi, Randy,
What you have is a novelty coin. While the penny itself was made by the U.S. Mint, the designs of the Liberty Bell and the map were added by somebody else.
This coin may fetch a few dollars by people interested in collecting novelty coins, but it really has not much value to the average coin collector.
It might be neat coin to keep, though, if it has special meaning to you....
I have a penny that has the liberty bell and the map of the united states stamped on it. How much is worth