Numismatic Dictionary

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There are currently 24 names in this directory beginning with the letter E.
Eagle
An official name for the U.S. gold $10 coin struck for circulation from 1795 through 1933.

edge
The outside area of the coin that is not the obverse or reverse. It is called the third side of a coin.

edge device
Letters or other designs on the edge of a coin.

edge letters
Lettering pressed into the edge of the coin as part of the coin’s design.

Educational Notes
Sometimes called the Educational Series, they were currency notes issued in 1896 in an attempt to educate the public.

electrotype
A copy of a coin or medal made using an electroplating process.

elongated coin
Coins that have been pressed into a special die that look stretched used for advertisement or commemoration

encapsulated coin
A coin that has been stored and sealed in a plastic holder usually by a third-party grading service. See also third-party grading service.

encased coin
Coins that are encased in a collar, usually made from aluminum, where the collar is used for advertisement or commemoration.

encased postage stamps
Invented by John Gault during the U.S. Civil War, it was a quarter-sized slug that was designed to hold a postage stamp to be used in lieu of money because of the shortage of coins and currency.

engraver
The artist responsible for cutting or carving the design of a coin. See also designer.

Engraver's Mark
A signature, ornaments, symbols or other marks on a coin, medal, or die placed by the engraver to show that the item was hand engraved.

enhanced uncirculated
A type of specimen strike by the U.S. Mint that requires special treating of the dies in order to add highlights and other textured elements to the coin being struck.

envelope toning
Colorization caused by storing coins in small manila coin envelops.

environmental damage
Term describing the corrosion seen on a coin that has been exposed to the elements.

eroded die
See also worn die.

error
A term that describes numismatic item that has a variation caused a mistake in the striking or printing process.

escudo
Originally, a Spanish gold coin worth one-eighth of a doubloon. Later the currency formerly of Portugal and Chile. Currently, it is the currency of Cape Verde.

essai
Design or pattern that may not have used for an issued coin. See also pattern or trial.

euro
The official currency for 19 of the 28 member states of the Eurozone. Several other nations and territories have adopted the euro as its unit currency making it the second most widely circulated currency behind the United States dollar.

exergue
The area below the main design that is separated by a line that often bears the date. An example of an exergue appears on the reverse of the Liberty Head "Buffalo" nickel.

exonumia
The study and collection of tokens, medals, or other coin-like objects that are not considered legal tender.

Extremely High Relief
A term used to describe a coin whose details were raised higher than other issues. This term has been used for the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle and the specially issued 2009 Saint-Gaudens commemorative issue.

eye appeal
The aesthetic effect a coin has on its viewer.

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