Coins what does cc mean

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Hubs show the image the way the artist created it. Dies are like a photo negative, displaying the design in reverse. Skip navigation. Your browser is out of date. For the best and most secure experience in our catalog, please update your browser. Shop Shop. About News Learn.

Mint marks were placed on the reverse of coins until when they moved to the obverse. Deep mirror prooflike DMPL Morgans feature mirrors that are thicker and and have more depth than those of merely prooflike Morgans. Single tests regarding the extant of reflectivity, such as holding a pen a certain number of inches from the surface, are curious, though misleading, in my view. These designations, when assigned, appear on the labels, paper inserts inside the respective holders. Mark was a full-time grader at the NGC during most of the s, and has worked as a grader for a few of the leading dealers in the coin business, including Steve Ivy.

The thirteen dates of CC Morgans are listed here. I have placed NGC price guide values for EF grade coins, in parentheses, to provide an idea of collecting costs and relative prices. There are no Carson City Mint coins that date from to It is not practical to provide information about each of these dates here. Treasury Department in the s, s and early s, at face value. Indeed, large quantities were available to the general public from to Later, more than sixty thousand CC Morgans were distributed, in GSA holders, from to , for prices substantially above face value.

All Morgan Dollar collectors could thus afford one. The CC issue is even more common than the CC. A collector should be able to quickly locate dozens from which to choose.

At least , survive. On Aug. Back in Jan. Usually, DMPL Morgans are not collected in grades below 64, as the contact marks that tend to characterize sub grade Morgans are annoying when seen on very reflective surfaces.

The latter was in a GSA holder, which is worth a premium. The CC is also relatively costly in low grades. Well worn CC Morgans are much less costly. In Sept. In Nov. From to , and again in , the General Services Administration publicly sold quantities of Morgans, mostly Carson City issues.

There was little public interest in these GSA sales. Each such coin could not be removed without breaking the holder. There were also some sealed in soft holders. There are many collectors who pay premiums for coins in original GSA holders.

In Jan. Earlier this year, the second edition of this book was published by Whitman. Ungar is a long time specialist in Carson City Morgans. Jeff Oxman is a well known collector, who has researched die varieties of Morgans.

I now have a much more positive perspective on GSA holders. When a Morgan Silver Dollar is found sealed in a genuine GSA holder, it is evident that it is has not been dipped or cleaned since the s, and that it has never been doctored. To those who collect Morgans, I recommend buying coins that have naturally toned, at least to an extent, though are not wildly toned or especially vivid. Cascade Ave. The grading service and acronym were sold by the ANA and now operate under this name as a third-party grading service.

Ancients Term for coins of the world struck circa B. Annealing The heating and cooling of a die or planchet to soften the metal before preparation of the die or striking of the coin.

Anvil die The lower, stationary die. The reverse is usually the anvil die, although on some issues with striking problems, the obverse was employed as the lower die. Because of the physics of minting, the fixed lower-die impression is slightly better struck than the upper-die impression. Also see: Hammer die. Arrows Design element usually found in the left viewer's right claw of the eagle seen on many US coins.

Arrows and rays Term referring to quarters and half dollars. The rays were removed in because of striking difficulties created by the busy design.

Arrows at date Term referring to the arrows to the left and right of the date. These were added to the dies to indicate a weight increase or decrease. Ask The lowest current asking price of a particular coin issue and grade offered for sale. Also see: Bid. Attributes The elements that make up a coin's grade. The primary attributes include marks hairlines for Proofs , luster, strike, and eye appeal. Auction An offering of coins or other items for sale where the buyer must bid against other potential buyers with no set price.

This is in contrast with ordering from a catalog, price list, or advertisement at an advertised price. Authentication The process of determining genuineness. B Back to Top Bag A generic term for the cloth sacks used to transport and store coins. These came into use in the mid-nineteenth century and replaced wooden kegs. Also refers to the quantity of coins of a particular denomination found in a bag such as cents or silver dollars.

Bag marks Abrasions which occur on coins that were shipped in mint bags. Most often this term applies to silver dollars, although virtually any coin can have bag marks. Bag marks in no way mean that a coin is not mint state. In fact, even a coin graded Mint State or higher could have some bag marks. Bag toning Coloring acquired from the bag while a coin was stored.

Cloth coin bags contained sulfur and other metal-reactive chemicals. When stored in bags for extended periods, coins in close proximity to the cloth often acquire beautiful red, yellow, blue and other vibrant colors. Sometimes the weave of the cloth is visible in the toning. Some coins have crescent-shaped toning because another coin was covering part of the surface, thus preventing toning.

Bag toning is seen most often on Morgan silver dollars. Barber coinage Common name for the Charles Barber designed Liberty Head dimes, quarters, and half dollars struck during the s and early s. Basal state The condition of a coin that is identifiable only as to date, mintmark if present , and type; one-year-type coins may not have a date visible.

Basal value The value base on which Dr. William H. Baseball cap coin Slang for a Pan-Pac commemorative gold dollar coin. The figure on this coin wears a cap similar to a baseball cap. Basining The process of polishing a die to create a mirrored surface or to remove clash marks or other damage from a die. Beaded border Small round devices around the edge of a coin, often seen on early U.

Bid The highest price offered to buy a particular coin issue and grade either on a trading network, pricing newsletter, or other medium. Also see: Ask. Bidder A dealer issuing a quotation on an electronic trading system. A participant in an auction. Blank A flat disk of unstruck metal destined to be made into a coin. Also see: Planchet Blended A term applied to an element of a coin date, design, lettering, etc.

Bluebook A blue-cover, wholesale pricing book for United States coins. BN Short for Brown; refers to copper coins. Body bag Slang term for a coin returned from a grading service in a plastic sleeve within a flip. The coin referred to is deemed a "no-grade" and is not graded or encapsulated. Bourse The Paris stock exchange. This term has come to be synonymous with coin show. Bourse floor The physical area where a coin show takes place.

Braided Hair Style of hair on half cents and large cents from on. The hair is pulled back into a tight bun drawn with a braided hair cord. Branch mint One of the various subsidiary government facilities that struck, or still strikes, coins.

Breast feathers The central feathers of eagle designs, particularly Morgan dollars. Fully struck coins typically command a premium and the breast feathers are usually the highest point of the reverse. Breen The late Walter Breen. It was published in Breen letter A written or typed document by Walter Breen rendering his opinion on a particular numismatic item.

Prior to 3 rd party certification, this was a common method collectors and dealers used to authenticate a unique item. Brilliant Untoned.

With no tarnish or oxidation, and with original cartwheel frosty or prooflike lustre. Copper coins are considered brilliant if they have full original red. Brilliant Proof A particular type of proof coin that has a full mirror surface in the fields.

Brilliant Uncirculated A generic term for any coin that has not been in circulation. Bronze An alloy of copper and tin; special types also contain other elements.

Brown The term applied to a copper coin that no longer has the red color of copper. It is abbreviated as BN when used as part of a grade or description. BU Acronym for Brilliant Uncirculated. BU rolls Wrapped coins usually in paper in specific quantities for each denomination. Cents are quantity 50, nickels quantity 40, dimes quantity 50, quarters quantity 40, half-dollars and dollars 20, etc. Buckled die A warped or distorted die. Can be caused by excess clashing.

Often produces coins which are slightly bent. Buffalo nickel Slang for the Indian Head nickel, struck from to The animal depicted is an American Bison. Bulged die A die with a small indentation, formed from clashing. Results in "bulged" coins. Bullet sale A trademark of Heritage Numismatic Auctions, referring to a public auction model with an exceptionally short lead-time between the consignment deadline and the sale date.

Bullet toning See Target toning. Bullion Ingots, coins, or other issues that trade for their intrinsic metal value.

Only precious metals silver, gold, platinum, and palladium are included as bullion. Copper could also technically be considered as bullion. Bullion coin A legal tender coin that trades at a slight premium to its value as plain metal. Burn mark See Counting machine mark. Burnishing A process in which the surfaces of a coin or a planchet are shined through rubbing or polishing.

This term has both a positive and a negative context: In a positive sense, Proof planchets are burnished before they are struck. The procedure was done originally by rubbing wet sand across the surfaces to impart a mirror-like finish. In a negative sense, the surfaces on repaired or altered coins may be burnished by mechanical or chemical methods. For example, a high-speed drill with a wire brush attachment is used to achieve this effect.

Burnishing lines Lines resulting from burnishing. Typically seen on open-collar Proofs and almost never observed on close-collar Proofs. Burnt Slang term for a coin that has been over-dipped.

On such a coin, the surfaces are dull and lackluster. Business strike A coin which was struck for use in general circulation, as opposed to a proof coin produced strictly for collector purposes.

Also see: Regular strike , Commercial strike. Bust The head and shoulders of the emblematic Liberty seen on many US issues. Also see: Capped Bust , Draped Bust. Bust dollar Slang term for silver dollars struck from through Buyer's Premium A "Buyer's Premium" is charged in addition to the successful bid according to the rate defined in our terms and conditions.

More information on mintmarks. This Mint only struck gold coins from its opening in late until it was seized by the Confederacy. Coins struck in late were actually dated Cabinet friction Slight friction seen on coins usually the obverse that were stored in wooden cabinets used by early collectors. To compound the problem, a soft cloth was often used to wipe dust away, causing light hairlines. CAC The initials stand for Certified Acceptance Corporation, a company which reviews coins that are already graded and encapsulated by a third-party grading service.

CAM Abbreviation for Cameo. Cameo A proof, or prooflike coin with exceptional contrast between the fields and the devices. On a cameo coin, the fields are mirrorlike, while the devices give a frosty appearance. Canadian Term for coins and other numismatic items of Canada. The design is attributed to John Reich. Capped die An error in which a coin gets jammed in the coining press and remains for successive strikes.

Eventually a "cap" is formed on either the upper or lower die. These are sometimes spectacular, with the cap often many times taller than a normal coin. Carbon spot A dark discoloration on the surface of a coin. It is possible that this discoloration is caused by a planchet imperfection prior to striking, or it may be caused by improper storage of the coin.

Regardless of the cause, carbon spots are often difficult, if not impossible, to remove without leaving pits in the coin's surface. If they are large enough, they may significantly lower the grade and value of a coin.

Also see: Copper spot. Cartwheel An effect caused by the natural lustre on most mint state, and on some proof coins. When the coin is tilted back and forth, beams of light seem to circle the central devices of the coin. Also a slang term for Silver Dollar. Cast blanks Planchets that are molded, rather than cut from strips of metal. Cast counterfeit A replica of a genuine coin created by making molds of the obverse and reverse, then casting base metal in the molds.

A seam is usually visible on the edge unless it has been ground down. Castaing machine A machine invented by French engineer Jean Castaing that added the edge lettering and devices to early U.

Castaing machines were used until the introduction of close collar dies, which applied the edge device during the striking process. Cent A denomination valued at one-hundredth of a dollar, struck by the U. Certified Coin Dealer Newsletter A weekly newsletter that reports the trading ranges of nearly all U.

Chain Cent The popular name for the Flowing Hair Chain cent of , the first coins struck in the newly occupied Mint building. Chapman Proof Morgan dollar Proofs supposedly struck for coin dealer Henry Chapman, having cameo devices and deeply mirrored surfaces like most Morgan dollar Proofs. Charlotte The United States branch Mint located in Charlotte, North Carolina that only struck gold coins from until its seizure by the Confederacy in It never reopened as a mint after the Civil War, although it did serve as an official assay office from until Chasing A method used by forgers to create a mintmark on a coin.

Chasing involves heating the surfaces and moving the metal to form a mintmark. Choice An adjective which the A. Choice Unc Abbreviation for Choice Uncirculated. Circulated A term applied to a coin that has wear, ranging from slight rubbing to heavy wear.

Circulation A term applied to coins that have been spent in commerce. Circulation strike A coin meant for commerce. An alternate term for Business Strike or Regular Strike. Clad A term used to describe any of the modern "sandwich" coins that have layers of both copper and nickel. Clash marks The images of the dies seen on coins struck from clashed dies.

Clashed dies Extraneous design detail often appears on a die as a result of two dies coming together without a planchet between them during the minting process. Coins struck from such dies are said to be struck from clashed dies, or to have die clashes or clash marks.

Classic Era Term for the period from through when silver and gold coins of the United States were issued for circulation. Gold coins were only minted until Classic Head An image of Miss Liberty that depicts the style of a Roman or Greek athlete wearing a ribbon around the hair. Cleaned When a coin has been cleaned with baking soda or other mild abrasives, it may have a slightly washed out appearance.

If the lustre or color of a coin appears even the slightest bit unnatural as a result of past cleaning, the coin is usually described as "cleaned" when catalogued for sale. Just like any antique piece of furniture, or painting, the original surfaces of a coin are much more desirable by collectors than altered or damaged surfaces. As a result, cleaned coins are worth significantly less money than wholly original coins. Even though a coin is dark in color, does not mean that it is less valuable.

The metal in coins often oxidizes and produces a wide array of colors called toning. Some collectors hunt for wholly original coins with this type of toning.

Clip Slang term for a coin struck from a clipped planchet. Clipped Term for an irregularly cut planchet. A clip can be straight or curved, depending upon where it was cut. Clogged die A die that has a contaminant lodged in the recessed areas.

Coins struck from a clogged die will have diminished or even missing detail. Close collar An edge device sometimes called a collar die that surrounds the lower die. The close collar imparts reeding see Reeded edge or a smooth, plain edge. Closed collar Alternate term for close collar Cohen variety A die variety for half cents, denoted as C-1, C-2a, etc. Also see: Die Variety. Coin Metal formed into a disk of standardized weight and stamped with a standard design to enable it to circulate as money authorized by a government body.

Coin collection A grouping of coins assembled for fun or profit. Coin collector An individual who accumulates coins in a methodical manner. Coin Dealer Newsletter A weekly newsletter that reports the wholesale trading ranges of nearly all U. Coin friction Term applied to the area resulting when coins rub together in rolls or bags and small amounts of metal are displaced. Also see: Roll friction. Coin show An exchange composed of coin dealers displaying their items for sale and trade.

Coin World A leading weekly numismatic publication established in Coinage The issuance of metallic money of a particular country.

COINage Monthly numismatic magazine. Corporate entity that owns and operates AbaCoin. Based in Belmont, MA. Commem Synonym for "commemorative. Boone , place Mount Rushmore , or event Special Olympics and, in many instances, to raise funds for activities related to the theme.

Sometimes called NCLT non-circulating legal tender commemoratives. Commercial grade A synonym for Market Grade. Commercial strike A synonym for regular strike or business strike.

Common A numismatic issue that is readily available. Since this is a relative term, no firm number can be used as an exact cut-off point between common and scarce. Common date A particular issue within a series that is readily available. No exact number can be used to determine which coins are common dates as this is relative to the mintage of the series. Complete set A term for all possible coins within a series, all types see Type , or all coins from a particular branch Mint. For example, a complete gold type set would include examples of all types from until Condition The state of preservation of a particular numismatic item.

Condition Census A listing of the finest known examples of a particular issue. There is no fixed number of coins in a Condition Census. Condition rarity A term to indicate a common coin that is rare when found in high grades. Consensus grading The process of evaluating the condition of a coin by using multiple graders. Conserved Numismatic conservation involves examination, scientific analysis, and a reliance upon an extensive base of numismatic knowledge to determine the nature of a coin's state of preservation and the extent of any damage.

Contact marks Marks on a coin that are caused by contact with another coin or a foreign object. These are generally small, compared to other types of marks such as gouges. Also see: Bag marks. Contemporary counterfeit A coin, usually base metal, struck from crude dies and made to pass for legal tender at the time of creation. Sometimes such counterfeits are collected along with the genuine coins, particularly in the case of American Colonial issues. Continental dollars "Dollars" struck in pewter scarce , brass rare , copper extremely rare and silver extremely rare that are dated , but likely struck sometime later.

Certain Benjamin Franklin sketches inspired the design. Copper spot A spot or stain seen on gold coinage, indicating an area of copper concentration that has oxidized. Copper spots or stains can range from tiny dots to large blotches. Copper-Nickel Cent Cents issued from through in the copper-nickel alloy. These were called white cents during the period because of their pale color compared to the earlier red cents. Coppers Slang for pre-Federal copper, half cents, and large cents, minted through Copy Any reproduction, fraudulent or otherwise, of a coin.

Copy dies Dies made at a later date, usually showing slight differences from the originals. Also used to denote counterfeit dies copied directly from a genuine coin. This is sometimes also called the Liberty Head design. Corrosion Damage which occurs on the surface of some coins, generally due to improper storage.

Corrosion is caused when a chemical reaction, such as rust, actually eats into the metal. Cost The price paid for a numismatic item. Counterfeit Literally, a coin that is not genuine. The term is applied to cast and struck counterfeits as well as issues with altered dates or added mintmarks. Counting machine mark A dense patch of lines caused by the rubber wheel of a counting machine. Caused when the wheel spacing was insufficient for the selected coin. Cud An area of a coin struck by a die that has a complete break across part of its surface.

A cud may be either retained, where the faulty piece of the die is still in place, or full, where the piece of the die has fallen away. Cupro-nickel Any alloy of copper and nickel.

Dahlonega The branch Mint located in Dahlonega, Georgia that struck gold coins from until when it was seized by the Confederacy. Date The numerals on a coin representing the year in which it was struck. Restrikes see Restrike are made in years subsequent to the one that appears on them. Dealer Someone who's occupation is buying, selling, and trading numismatic material. Deep Cameo Term applied to coins, usually Proofs and prooflike coins that have deeply frosted devices and lettering that contrast with the mirror fields.

Deep mirror prooflike Any coin that has deeply reflective mirror-like fields. While a general term, it is especially applicable for Morgan dollars. Denomination The value assigned by a government to a specific coin. Denticles The tooth-like projections which make up the inner rim on some coins.

They were discontinued on most U. Dentils Alternative term for denticles. Design The motif of a coin or other numismatic item. Barber coins and Washington quarters are examples of designs. Design type A specific motif placed upon coinage, which may be used for several denominations and subtypes. Designation An addition to the grade of a coin to denote characteristics of the coin not covered by the coin's grade. A designation may refer to the coin's color, strike, or overall appearance.

All copper coins have a color designation, but other coins may not have a designation at all, even if one is available for their series. Designations do not affect the coin's grade, but almost always affect the coin's value.

Designer The individual responsible for creating a particular motif used on a numismatic series. 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 were used as a standard. Die A steel rod that is engraved, punched, or hubbed with the date, lettering, devices, and other emblems used to strike a coin.

Die alignment Term to indicate the relative position of the obverse and reverse dies. Die break An area of a coin that is the result of a broken die. Die cracks Raised lines, which appear on a coin as a result of that coin having been struck by a cracked die.

Die line Raised lines, which appear on a coin as a result of polish lines on the die. Also see: Die striations , Polished die. Die rust Pitting or roughness appearing on a coin as a result of that coin having been struck by a rusted die. Die state A readily identified point in the life of a coinage die.

Dies go through a lifecycle - clashing, being polished, cracking, breaking, etc. These are called die states. Some die varieties have gone through barely distinguishable die states, while others display multiple distinctive ones.

Die striations Raised lines on coins that were struck with polished dies. Die trial The test striking of a particular die in a different metal. Die variety A coin which has already been attributed by date, denomination, mintmark, and major variety such as Morgan Dollar, S, Reverse of '78 can often still be identified by die variety.

Research has been done in many series assigning numbers to the various combinations of dies known to have struck coins of each of the various years and mintmarks. Die wear The loss of detail on a coin due to wear on the die used to strike it rather than wear on the coin itself. Dime The denomination, one tenth of a dollar, issued since by the United States. Ding Slang for a small- to medium-sized mark on a coin. Also see: Rim ding. Dipped A coin which has been cleaned in a soap solution, the most popular of which is called Jewel Luster, is said to have been dipped.

The term "dipped" is not necessary in, say, a catalog description of a coin, unless the dipping has caused noticeable dulling of lustre, or an otherwise unnatural appearance typically on copper coins. The practice of dipping coins is not advisable, except by bonafide experts, and then only on rare occasions.

Dipping solution Any of the commercial cleaners or "dips"on the market, usually acid-based. Disme The original spelling of dime. It is thought to have been have been pronounced to rhyme with ream the s being silent. This spelling was used in Mint documents until the s and was officially changed by the Coinage Act of An exceptionally deep mirror-like prooflike coin with little, if any, cartwheel lustre. Also see: DPL. Doctored Typically considered a derogatory term.

A doctored coin has been enhanced by chemical or other means. Dollar A denomination consisting of one hundred cents authorized by the Mint Act of This is the anglicized spelling of the European Thaler and was used because of the worldwide acceptance of the Thaler and the Spanish Milled dollar or piece-of-eight. Double Eagle Literally two eagles, or twenty dollars. A twenty-dollar U.

Double d die A die that has been struck more than one time by a hub in misaligned positions, resulting in doubling of design elements. If shifting occurs in the alignment between a hub and a die, the die will have some of its features doubled. This doubling is then imparted to every coin it strikes.

The coins struck from such dies are called doubled-die errors. The Doubled Die Lincoln cent is one such error. Double-struck A condition that results when a coin is not ejected from a die and is struck a second time hence double-struck. Triple-struck coins and other multiple strikings also are known. Proofs are usually intentionally double-struck in order to sharpen their details; this is sometimes visible under magnification. Draped Bust The design of Miss Liberty with a drape across her bust.

This is attributed to Mint engraver Robert Scot, who presumably copied the design after a portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Drift mark An area on a coin, often rather long, that appears streaky or discolored. This is the result of impurities or foreign matter in the dies. Dull Term for a numismatic item that lacks luster. Dulling may be the result of natural or artificial conditions. Along with the dollar, the eagle was the basis of the U.

ED Acronym for environmental damage. Edge The third side of a coin. It may be reeded, ornamented, or plain. Edge device Letters or emblems on the edge of a coin. Examples would be the stars and lettering on the edge of Saint-Gaudens double eagles. EF Acronym for Extremely Fine Electrotype A duplicate coin created by the electrolytic method, where metal is deposited into a mold made from the original. The obverse and reverse metal shells are then filled with metal and fused together.

The edges are then sometimes filed smooth to obscure the seam. Elements The various devices and emblems seen on coins. Eliasberg Short for Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Emission sequence The order in which die states are struck. Also, the die use sequence for a particular issue. Envelope toning Coloration that results from storage in small manila "coin envelopes". Most paper envelopes contain reactive chemicals.

Environmental damage Corrosion-effect seen on a coin that has been exposed to the elements. The damage may range from minor dulling to severe pitting. Eroded die Synonym for a worn die. Error A numismatic item that unintentionally varies from the norm. Overdates and overmintmarks are not considered errors since they were done intentionally. Other die-cutting "mistakes" are considered errors.

Double dies, planchet clips, and off-metal strikings are also considered errors. Essai Term for trial or pattern strikings. The anglicized version is essay and literally means a test or trial. Expert A specialist in a particular numismatic area.

Extra Fine Alternate term for Extremely Fine. The coin had so much depth that multiple punches from a powerful press were required to fully bring up the detail. Because of this difficulty, the design was lowered, resulting in the High Relief. This too was lowered to create the Standing Liberty double eagle, or Saint. Eye appeal The aesthetic effect a coin has on its viewer.