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| COIN COLLECTING DEFINITIONS STARTING WITH "F" |
face value: the value that is stated on a coin. For example: the face value of a Dime is Ten Cents; the collector value of the same coins may be substantially higher.
Fair: a grading term for a coin that is so worn that it is barely identifiable as to type.
fake: a counterfeit coin meant to deceive.
fantasy: a coin that has nothing to do with reality.
fasces: the ax bound in a bundle of sticks that appears on the back of Mercury Head Dimes struck from 1916 to 1945.
field: the flat surfaces of a coin that surround the designs and legends.
Fine: a grade range from 11 to 19 on a grading scale of 1 to 70.
fineness: the percentage of metal in gold and silver coins. Example: a 1964 Dime has a fineness of 90%.
finest known: the coin ranked as the best example known of a denomination, type, date, or variety.
first strike: the first coin, or one of the earliest coins, struck from a pair of dies. These are usually Prooflike, well struck and nearly perfect.
fishscale: nickname for the silver Three-Cents issued from 1851-1873.
fixed price list: a published listing of a dealer’s inventory, priced for sale.
flan: planchet, the blank piece of metal on which a coin is struck.
flat edge: variety of 1907 $20 “High Relief” gold coins that has a flat border. The edge on this coin is actually lettered!
flat luster: reduced brilliance due to dark toning, impaired surfaces, or cleaning.
flip: a coin holder (usually 2” x 2”) made of clear, soft plastic, with pockets on both sides. Some contain the dreaded PVC!
flow lines: when a coin is struck, the metal flows outward from the center, resulting in microscopic lines that add to the luster of a coin.
Flowing Hair: design type on most copper and silver U.S. coins struck from 1793-1795.
Flying Eagle: design type of U.S. Small Cents from 1856-1858; also the reverse of the 1836-1839 Gobrecht Dollars.
Flying Eagle Cent: the One Cent coin struck from 1856-1858.
flyspecks: microscopic carbon spots on the surface of a coin.
foreign: non-U.S.
four-dollar gold piece: a pattern coin issued in gold in 1879 and 1880, nicknamed “Stella.”
Franklin Half Dollar: the U.S. Half Dollars struck from 1948 to 1963 with the head of Benjamin Franklin on the front.
friction: the rub or wear on a coin.
frost: on Uncirculated coins, a crystalline luster. On Proof coins, the slightly grainy finish that is given to the devices.
frosted devices: raised design elements that still have a white, slightly grainy finish. Opposite: brilliant devices.
frosty luster: luster that is crisp, bright, and slightly crystalline in appearance.
Fugio cents: copper coins struck in 1787 by private minters under contract with the U.S. government. Many of the design elements are credited to Benjamin Franklin.
Full Bands: Mercury Head Dimes that have fully defined bands on the fasces. Only well struck coins will have these features.
Full Bell Lines: Franklin Half Dollars that have clearly defined horizontal lines on the bottom of the bell on the reverse. Only well struck coins will have these features.
Full Head: Standing Liberty Quarter Dollars that have full details on Liberty’s head. Only well struck coins will have these features.
Full Steps: a Jefferson Nickel with complete details on the steps leading up to Monticello, indicating a rare full strike.
full strike: a coin that has complete details thanks to a crisp, bold stamp from the dies.
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