ANATOMY OF A COIN
Here is a quick Dummy guide to understanding the proper terms related to coin anatomy. Coin anatomy refers to the various components that make up a coin.
Obverse and Reverse - Understanding the difference between "heads" and "tails".
| Obverse | The front side of a coin is known as the obverse. It usually bears the head or portrait of a person or a symbolic image representing the country or issuing authority. The side of the coin that generally shows the Coat of Arms, the President’s or Monarch’s bust. The obverse side is referred to as the head and is the front of the coin. Generally, the obverse is where the date appears. |
| Reverse |
The back side of a coin is known as the reverse. It usually bears the denomination of the coin, as well as a design or symbol representing the country or issuing authority. The opposite side to the obverse or tails side, of a coin. Generally, the side does not have the date. |
| Motto | An inscription or phrase on a coin. An example is the word "EENDRAG MAAK MAG" or "UNITY IS STRENGTH" on some South African coins. The Motto has a special meaning and can be emotional or inspiring. |
| Field | The flat area of a coin between the legend and the design. There is no design on this portion of the coin. In some cases, these can have a slight curve. |
| Rim | The upraised area around the edges of both sides(obverse and reverse) of a coin. The purpose of the rim is to make coins easily stackable, protect the coin's design from damage and help bring up the devices during the strike process. |
| Portrait |
The most important part of the coin is the portrait or bust of an important person(King, Queen, President). The portrait in this example is of Jan van Riebeeck. He was a Dutch colonial administrator and the founder of Cape Town in South Africa. |
| Relief |
Relief refers to the raised portion of the coin design. It is created by the process of minting, in which a blank coin is struck with a die containing the desired design. |
| Edge | The third side of a coin. It may be plain, reeded, or ornamented – with lettering or other elements raised or incused. The edge is the actual side of the coin and should never be confused with the rim. |
| Date | The numerals on a coin represent the year in which it was minted, for example, 1961 |
| Legend | A phrase that appears on a coin – for instance, SOUTH AFRICA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, etc. The legend is also referred to as the Inscription. The legend tells us important things, such as who made the coin or how much it is worth |
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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. The initials, CLS, on the example, stand for Coert Steynberg. Do you see the initials on the coin? Look up Mintmarks and who it belongs to here. |
In summary, the anatomy of a coin consists of the obverse and reverse sides, the rim, field, relief, legend, and edge. These components combine to create the unique design and features of each individual coin.
Don't fully understand coin terminology,
visit our Coin Glossary for more information.