Homepage / Bullion Investment Basics: Coin Anatomy

Last Updated on 09/14/2024

Bullion Coin
Anatomy

A Bullion Coin's Anatomy is easy to recognize and is no different from other coins.

The Three Sides of a Coin

Everyone's flipped a coin and called "Heads" or "Tails."

In terms of a coin's anatomy, "Heads" is known as the "Obverse" side of the coin, and "Tails" is known as the "Reverse" side.

The Free Bullion Investment Guide has over 100 bullion coin pages, and all are narrated using obverse, reverse, and edge coin terminology.  (Ex: American Eagle Silver Bullion Coin)

The edge of a coin is often called the third side of a coin.

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Different Coin Edges

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Reeded / Serrated Coin Edge

Lettered Edge

Plain / Smooth Edge

Grained Edge

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Anatomy of a Bullion Coin

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Obverse Side

The bullion coin below is the 1oz. American Eagle Platinum Bullion Coin

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Reverse Side

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Bullion Coin Anatomy
- Breakdown -

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Field - The flat area of a coin’s surface that doesn’t have any design or inscription.

Rim - The raised edge that runs around both sides of a coin.

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Edge - The edge is the very outer border of a coin. Edges can be lettered, plain, or reeded. See below for more information on coin edges.

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Portrait - Found on the Obverse side of the coin. Common portraits include presidents, monarchy, and Lady Liberty.

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Legend - Usually found at the top of a bullion coin, often referred to as the coin’s inscription.

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Relief - raised art/design on the surface of a coin's field

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Motto - Coin lettering or inscriptions: ex, "In God We Trust" and " "E Pluribus Unum."

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Weight & Purity - States the coins' weight and the purity of the precious metal in the coin.

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Face Value - The value of the coin the face value of every bullion coin is guaranteed and backed by the country in which it represents.

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Date or Year of Issue - Indicates the year a coin was minted or first issued.

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Designers Initials - The initials of the person who designed or engraved the coin.

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Mint Marks

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A mint mark is a Mark or an Inscription on a coin indicating the mint that produced the coin.

The United States Mint puts the first letter of the satellite Mint that produced the coin on all their precious metal collectors and commemorative coinage, including the American Eagle Proof and Un-Circulated versions' of the bullion coin.

The United States Mint has four minting facilities that have their own mint mark: "P" = Philadelphia, PA | "S" = San Francisco, CA | "D" = Denver, CO | "W" = West Point, NY

United States Mass Produced American Eagle Bullion Coins do not have a mint mark.

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The practice of including a Mint Mark on a bullion coin is done with some bullion coins and not with others.

For instance, Israel's Holy Land Mint puts its Mint Mark of the "Star of David" on its "Jerusalem of Gold" bullion coins.

Australia's Perth Mint is known for adding its "P" Mint Mark on many of their bullion coins, and Mexico's Mint has on every Gold and Silver Libertad its Mint Mark of an "O over an M."

However, Canada and China, in addition to the United States, do not put Mint Marks on their bullion coins.

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Enhanced Anatomy
American Eagle Platinum
Bullion Coin

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Obverse

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Reverse

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Bullion Coin Anatomy

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Free Bullion Investment Guide