| I feel that I should introduce you to one, or | | | | doubt that that’s the obverse side. What |
| rather two, simple facts which will help you in | | | | happens though if there are two “heads”? |
| your coin dealings. It’s nothing earth shattering | | | | Or what if there aren’t any portraits? What |
| or mind boggling, but I can state that knowledge | | | | do you do then? |
| of this will take you a long way towards | | | | If it isn’t an error coin, and all the coins of |
| understanding your coins and its terms. Very | | | | that denomination are the same, then you’re |
| simply and without any further fanfare, I would | | | | going to have to do a bit of intuitive reasoning |
| like to introduce to you, Obverse and Reverse. | | | | before you can tell which is which. You then move |
| These two simple terms are used constantly in | | | | on to identifying method number two. And |
| anything to do with coins and its best if you get | | | | confusingly enough, if the coin you have shares a |
| to grips with it in the beginning before you really | | | | common device (identifying mark) on one side of |
| sink your teeth into the whole thing. | | | | all the coins, then this becomes the reverse side. |
| Not that you won’t understand it if you hear | | | | Without any portrait as an identifier for the |
| it later, but at least in the beginning you’ll get | | | | obverse, the side of your coin which has the |
| a good idea of what’s being said if you hear | | | | common denominator is the side designated as |
| the words obverse and reverse mentioned. | | | | the reverse side. The changeable side is the |
| To begin at the very beginning, in earlier days | | | | obverse. And if that still doesn’t help you any, |
| before the advent of the machine press, coins | | | | the side of the coin which bears the name of the |
| were minted by hand. Not that a person sat | | | | country, if there is one, will be the obverse side. |
| down and physically drew or carved on the coin, | | | | If all else fails, you could either look it up and see |
| but a process was created in which it was | | | | if you can get anywhere with reference books, |
| possible to mint a coin using a few basic methods. | | | | or alternately you could flip a coin and decide |
| Firstly, two dies were made, one for each side of | | | | arbitrarily for yourself. I’d use a coin where |
| the coin. One die was kept on an anvil, the coin | | | | you know which is the obverse and which is the |
| blank (or the coin planchet as it’s also known) | | | | reverse though! |
| was placed in the die, and then the second die | | | | Over and above all of this though, there are also |
| halve was placed on top and hammered down | | | | a few common things which you will find on most |
| onto the coin blank. This might seem pretty | | | | coins. These are, |
| primitive but it worked, and successfully, for | | | | • A portrait, a common theme or motif, or a |
| hundreds of years until the machine press was | | | | shield |
| invented and the rest became history. | | | | • The denomination or the value of the coin |
| The whole point of that was to acquaint you with | | | | • A legend or a logo |
| the fact that one die sat upon an anvil, and the | | | | • Sometimes the name of the country |
| other die was struck upon by a hammer. This in | | | | • A mintmark as an identifier of which Mint it |
| turn led to these two dies being referred to as | | | | came from |
| the “anvil die” – the one sitting on the | | | | • Date of minting |
| anvil, and the “hammer die”, the die which | | | | • Sometimes the initials of the designer |
| was struck by the hammer. And this I have to | | | | (generally in very small print) |
| say, leads me to the point I was trying to get to | | | | These are the main variations which you will find |
| from the beginning: Obverse and Reverse. | | | | on most coins be they old or new. However, |
| Obverse is the front of the coin and is also | | | | since the world is a vast place, and there have |
| known as the hammer die. It’s also better | | | | been more risings and fallings of civilizations than |
| known as the “Heads” side, when | | | | even we know of, there could be any number of |
| you’re flipping a coin. This is the half of the | | | | different designs or themes which you can find on |
| die set that will be facing you if you ever see a | | | | a coin. |
| die set. This convention also holds true for the | | | | To begin with though these are just fine and as |
| modern machine press dies as well. Reverse, as | | | | long as you know what Obverse and Reverse |
| you might have guessed by now, is the reverse | | | | mean (front and back of the coin), you’ll get |
| side, or the flip side, of a coin. Better known as | | | | along swimmingly. |
| the “Tails” side, or the anvil die. | | | | Then even if you can’t correctly tell which is |
| Right, so you’ve got that one down pat, | | | | which on the coin at least you know what it |
| obverse is the front and reverse is the back. But | | | | means when a dealer or a collector tells you that |
| how can you tell which is which? The easiest way | | | | the obverse of the coin is slightly scratched and |
| of course is if there’s an identifying portrait | | | | that the reverse has only a few hairline scratches |
| on one side of the coin. This will tell you without a | | | | on it! |