C note

Nickname for a $100 bill.

cabinet friction

Evidence of slight rubbing on a coin’s highest points. In the past, when rare coins were often stored loosely in the shallow, felt-lined drawers of a display cabinet, the sliding of the coin upon opening and closing the drawer could, over time, result in such wear. Today the term is used more generically to describe any slight wear on a coin other than from circulation.

cameo (CAM)

Mirror-like fields and frosty devices. See also reverse cameo.

carbon spot

A dark discoloration on a coin’s surface, often caused by organic material present on a planchet during the annealing (softening) process at which time it burns, producing a black spot that cannot be removed without damage to the surface.

cash

An old Oriental copper coin with a square hole for stringing.

cast coin

A coin made by pouring molten metal into a mold, as opposed to the more common method of striking with dies.

cent

One one-hundredth of the standard monetary unit. Also known as a centavo, centimo, or centesimo in some Central American and South American countries; centime in France and various former colonies in Africa; and other variations.

certified coin

A coin that has been graded, authenticated, and encapsulated in plastic by an independent grading service.

certified note

A note graded and placed in a sealed holder by a commercial grading service.

charter number

Beginning in 1863, thousands of National Banks were chartered by the Treasury Department and were given charter numbers which were printed on the face of each note (beginning in the early 1870s, but not on the earlier National Bank Notes of the 1860s), in addition to the serial numbers. Charters for the earlier banks were for 19 years. Charters for later banks, 1864 to the early 1920s, were for 20 years and could be extended for a further 20 years, and extended again beyond that. Later, charters were made perpetual. Sometimes when a bank changed its name or even its geographical location, the same charter number was retained.

Charter number

Beginning in 1863, thousands of National Banks were chartered by the Treasury Department and were given Charter numbers, which were printed on the face of each note (beginning in the early 1870s, but not on the earlier National Bank Notes of the 1860s), in addition to the serial numbers. Charters for the earlier banks were for 19 years. Charters for later banks, 1864 to the early 1920s, were for 20 years and could be extended for a further 20 years, and extended again beyond that. Later, charters were made perpetual. Sometimes when a bank changed its name or even its geographical location, the same Charter number was retained.

cherrypick

To find undervalued coins, such as rare dates or varieties, by carefully searching a dealer’s otherwise normal-looking inventory.

cherrypicker

A collector who finds scarce and unusual coins by carefully searching through unattributed items in old accumulations or dealers’ stocks.

chopmark

A merchant’s test mark (usually Chinese) punched into a coin to verify its weight.

circulation (of a National Bank)

The total face value of a given National Bank’s bills in circulation in commerce (not including notes held in the bank’s vault or not yet issued). From 1863 to 1900, banks could issue bills up to 90% of their paid-in capital, with appropriate bonds or other acceptable securities given as collateral. From 1900 to 1935, banks could issue up to 100% of their capital. The collateral bonds earned interest.

circulation strike

An Uncirculated coin minted for use in commerce, as opposed to a Proof or other special-finish coin.

Civil War tokens

Unofficial pieces made to the approximate size of current U.S. cents and pressed into circulation during the Civil War because of a scarcity of small change.

clad coinage

Coins whose planchet consist of an inner core made of base metal and outer layers of copper-nickel or silver bonded to each side. The term may also be used to indicate the cladding or plating of any coin with a central core covered with various other metals.

clash marks

Impressions of the reverse design on the obverse of a coin (or the obverse on the reverse). This is caused by damage to the dies when they impact each other with great force without an intervening planchet.

clashed dies

Dies that have been damaged during production by striking each other without a planchet between them.

cob money

Crude irregular silver coins of Spain, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

coin alignment

Descriptive of a coin whose reverse design is upside down in relation to the obverse. Compare to medal alignment.

Coin Note

Note from $1 to $1,000 issued in the Series of 1890 and 1891, redeemable in coins (silver or gold, at the option of the Treasury Department, but in practice the bearer could make the selection). These are called Treasury Notes or Coin Notes interchangeably.

collar

The outer ring, or die chamber, that holds a blank in place in the coinage press while the coin is impressed by the obverse and reverse dies.

colorized

Coins that have been selectively enhanced with colored paint on portions of the design.

Columbian Bank Note Company

Firm located in Washington, D.C., which undertook contract printing for the backs of certain currency in the 1870s.

commemorative

A coin or medal issued to mark a special event or to honor an outstanding person, place, or thing.

Compound Interest Treasury Note

Note from $10 to $1,000 issued in the early 1860s yielding interest to the bearer. One of several distinct United States currency series.

Comptroller of the Currency

Treasury Department appointed official in charge of paper-money distribution, the granting of National Bank charters, and related matters.

computer grading

The (now obsolete) process of grading a coin by use of a computer analysis of surface conditions and marks.

contact marks

Minor abrasions on an Uncirculated coin, made by contact with other coins in a bag or roll.

Continental Bank Note Company

Firm founded in 1862 in New York City. Provider by contract of certain federal currency in the 1860s through the mid-1870s.

copper spot

A brown or red area on a gold coin that indicates incomplete mixture of alloy prior to striking.

copy

A reproduction of a coin, marked as such, created without intent to defraud, for purposes of display or reference.

counter

Technical name for the part of a note showing the denomination in a separate vignette, such as 5, 10, 20, and so forth.

counterfeit

An unmarked reproduction of a coin or bank note created with fraudulent intent, either to circulate as money or to cheat a collector.

countermark

A stamp or mark impressed on a coin to verify its use by another government or to indicate revaluation.

counterstamp

A stamp or mark impressed on a coin to verify its use by another government or to indicate revaluation.

crack-out

A coin that has been removed from a grading service holder.

crown

Any dollar-size coin (c. 38 mm in diameter) in general, often struck in silver; specifically, one from the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries.

cud

An area of raised metal at the rim of a coin where a portion of the die broke off, leaving a void in the design.