How do I identify my coin?
John Hall
Updated on April 11, 2026
How do I identify my coin?
- First, find the date of the coin and notice the language of any text on the coin.
- If the text is in a language you understand or can translate, this can help identify what region this coin is from.
- Third, notice the denomination if it is found on the coin.
What are the 2 sides of the coin called?
In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse tails.
What are the names of coins?
U.S. coins currently are made in the following six denominations: cent, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, and dollar.
Why do coins have 2 sides?
When you say “two sides of a coin”, what you refer to is the fact that an issue might look very different (like a coin) when you flip it over and look at it from the other side. It is the same item, but it looks different, depending on your perspective.
How do I know if I have a rare coin?
How to Tell If You Have Rare Coins
- Examine the Coin as a Whole. Before you inspect individual aspects, look over the coin as a whole.
- Look Over the Lettering. The lettering of a coin is one easy location to discover rarities.
- Inspect the Mintmark.
- Check the Die Rotation.
Are there any examples of coins being made into buttons?
There are examples and records of coins being crafted into buttons, a switch from previous centuries when gold, silver, and brass buttons were used as substitute currency. (Late in the century and into the 1900s coins of higher denominations were sometimes made into pendants and brooches.
What was on the back of the British half farthing coin?
A bust of the young queen appeared on the obverse (front), and on the reverse read HALF FARTHING with a crown above and a rose below, then in 1842 and ensuing years the addition of a thistle and shamrock with the rose, because the coin became legal tender throughout the United Kingdom.
How big was a half sovereign coin during the Victorian era?
Half sovereign: Introduced in 1544 under Henry VIII, discontinued in 1604, then minted again starting in 1817 and throughout the 19th century, this gold coin was worth 120 pence, or 10 shillings, and during Victoria’s reign measured 19 mm in diameter.
What kind of coins were made in the Victorian era?
The coins started off made of silver, but in the late 18th century switched to copper, then to bronze in 1860. Pennies were minted every year of Victoria’s reign]
