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P

P-Mint Synonym for the U.S. Mint located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More information on mints.
Pan-Pac Synonym for Panama-Pacific Exhibition.
Pan-Pac slug Synonym for the round or octagonal 1915-dated Panama-Pacific fifty-dollar commemorative coins.
Panama-Pacific Exhibition A 1915 exhibition held in San Francisco, California to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal.
Paper money Synonym for currency.
Patina Synonym for toning.
Pattern A test striking of a coin produced to trial a proposed design, composition, or size. Patterns were often struck in metals other than the one proposed.
PCGS Abbreviation for Professional Coin Grading Service, a leading grading service located in Newport Beach, CA.
PCGS Population Report Monthly publication by PCGS listing the number of coins graded and their grade.
Peace dollar Synonym for the silver dollar struck from 1921 to 1935. The Peace dollar was designed by Anthony Francisci to commemorate the peace following World War I. 1921 featured another coin designated High Relief. In 1922, the relief was lowered resulting in the Regular Relief type that was issued through 1935.
Pedigree The listing of a coin’s current owner plus all known previous owners.
Penny Synonym for a one-cent U.S. coin.
Peripheral toning Coloring – which may be light, medium, or dark - around the edge of a coin.
Philadelphia The primary U.S. Mint located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was first established in 1792. More information on mintmarks.
Pioneer gold Privately issued gold coins struck prior to 1861. The term is generally associated with the private issues from California and the other post-1848 ore finds in Nevada, Oregon, and Colorado.
PL Abbreviation for prooflike.
Plain edge A smooth, flat edge seen mainly on a small-denomination coinage. Also see: Lettered edge, Reeded edge
Planchet The blank metal disk, which becomes a coin when struck under high pressure between two dies. Also see: Blank
Planchet defect Any defect of a coin which was caused by the planchet being imperfect prior to the coin being struck. Also see: Planchet flaw
Planchet flaw An irregular hole in a coin blank, sometimes the result of a lamination that has broken away.
Planchet striations Fine, incuse lines found on some Proof coins believed to be caused by polishing of the blanks prior to striking. Also see: Adjustment marks, Burnishing lines, Die striations, Roller marks
Plated A coin with a thin layer of metal applied. For example, gold-plated copper strikings of certain U.S. pattern coins.
Platinum A precious metal sometimes used for coinage. The only United States issues struck in platinum are the pattern half dollars of 1814 and modern platinum Eagles.
Plugged Term used to describe a coin that has had a hole filled, often so expertly that it can be discerned only under magnification.
PNG Acronym for Professional Numismatists Guild.
PNG certificate A document (in duplicate: one for the coin owner and one kept on-file at PNG) completed by a PNG dealer that provided a guarantee of authenticity prior to third-party grading services.
PO Abbreviation for Poor. (Also P).
Polished die A die that has been basined to remove clash marks or other die injury. Dies used to strike Proof coins were polished to impart mirrorlike surfaces. Also see: Basining
Polyvinyl chloride A somewhat active chemical found in some types of plastic coin flips. Polyvinyl Chloride will cause some coins to tone or turn green over time.
Poor Synonym for the grade PO-1 (or P1).
Pop Report Synonym for a report issued by NGC or PCGS, which summarizes the coins certified to date.
PQ Acronym for premium quality.
PR Abbreviation for Proof.
Premium quality A term which describes the very finest coins that fall into any given grade, or that have some claims to a higher grade.
Presentation striking A coin, often a Proof or an exceptionally sharp business strike, specially struck and given to a dignitary or other person.
Press Any coining machine.
Price guide A periodical listing prices for numismatic items. The guide might differentiate between buy and sell (Bid/Ask), as well as wholesale or retail prices.
Price list Synonym for fixed price list
Pristine Term describing coins in original, unimpaired condition. Pristine coins are typically graded MS/PR-67 and higher.
Professional Coin Grading Service A leading third-party coin grading service located in Newport Beach, California.
Professional Numismatists Guild An organization of Numismatic dealers founded in 1955.
Proof The term Proof denotes a method of manufacture, not a grade. Proof coins are made with special care, exclusively for collectors or investors and not struck for general circulation. Generally, proof coins are struck on specially selected and polished planchets. They are struck using polished dies. Usually the coins are made on a slower moving press, and/or are struck more than once. Most proof coins are brilliant, with a mirrorlike surface.
Proof dies Dies which are prepared and used exclusively to produce proof coins. Often, the fields of proof dies are highly polished to impart a mirrorlike finish, and the recessed areas are left unfinished to create frosted devices.
Proof set A coin set containing Proof issues from a particular year. A few sets contain anomalies such as the 1804 dollar and eagle in 1834 presentation Proof sets.
Proof-only issue A coin struck only as a Proof, with no business-strike counterpart.
Prooflike A coin that has mirror-like surfaces. This term is particularly applicable to Morgan dollars.
Provenance Synonym for pedigree.
Punch A steel rod with a device, a date, lettering, and other symbols on the end which was hammered into a working die.
Put-together roll An "original roll" that has had the best coins removed and substituted with lesser quality coins. Also see: Original roll
PVC Acronym for polyvinyl chloride.
PVC damage A film, often green, left on a coin after storage in flips that contain PVC. During the early stage, this film may be clear and sticky.
PVC flip Synonym for a coin flip that contains PVC.