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D

D Mintmark used to identify coins struck at the Dahlonega, Georgia branch Mint from 1838 through 1861 or the Denver, Colorado Mint from 1906 forward. More information on mintmarks.
D-Mint Term used for the coinage of the branch Mints in Dahlonega, Georgia, or Denver, Colorado. More information on mints.
Dahlonega The branch Mint located in Dahlonega, Georgia that struck gold coins from 1838 until 1861 when it was seized by the Confederacy. More information on mintmarks.
Date The numerals on a coin representing the year in which it was struck. In this website and other catalogs, it is often used in combination with the mintmark and/or variety information (e.g.: 1921-S refer to coins struck in 1921 at the San Francisco, CA mint).
DCAM Abbreviation for Deep Cameo.
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.S. coins in the early twentieth century.
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 Abbreviation used to indicate characteristics of the coin or the strike. Examples are:
  • BN: Brown copper coinage
  • DMPL: Deep Mirror Proof Like
  • MS: Mint State, used for circulation coins
  • MSFB: Mint State Full Bands
  • MSFH: Mint State Full Head
  • MSRB: Mint State Red Brown copper coinage
  • MSRD: Red copper coinage
  • PL: Proof like
  • PR: Proof
  • PRBM: Proof Brown copper coinage
  • PRCA: Proof Cameo
  • PRDC: Proof Deep Cameo
  • PRRB: Proof Red Brown copper coinage
  • PRRD: Proof Red copper coinage
  • MSSF: Mint State Satin Finish
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, 1879-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 1796 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 1830s and was officially changed by the Coinage Act of 1837.
DMPL Abbreviation for Deep Mirror Prooflike. 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 1792. 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.S. gold coin issued from 1850 through 1932.
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 1955 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.