|
Denver Gold and Silver Coins
600 South Holly Street Suite 103
Denver, Colorado 80246
Open
Monday - Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm
Friday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm
Call anytime - leave a message: 303-835-8892
-
B -
back
The paper money side opposite the "face"; analogous to
the reverse of a coin.
bag marks
See contact
marks.
bank note
A promissory note issued by a bank in useful denominations, payable
to bearer and intended to circulate as money. Should not be used
as a generic term for all forms of paper money.
bas--relief
Sculpture style featuring slight differences between the raised
design and the field and in which no part of the design is undercut;
used to execute models for coins and medals. See also relief.
base metal
Non-precious metal; e.g., copper.
Bicentennial coins
The special quarter dollar, half dollar and dollar struck from mid-1975
to the end of 1976 in honor of the 200th anniversary of American
Independence. Coins feature the dual date 1776-1976 and special
reverses emblematic of the celebration. Issued in copper-nickel
clad versions for circulation. Special 40 percent silver clad versions
were sold to collectors.
bid sheet
A form used by a buyer in an auction or mail-bid sale, on which
the buyer lists the item being bid on by the number it is assigned
and the price he is willing to pay.
bid-buy sale
A combination form of fixed-price list and mail-bid sale. Rules
may vary from dealer to dealer. However, customers usually may either
buy a lot outright at the fixed price or place a bid (higher or
lower). It permits buyers to purchase a lot at less than fixed price
(in some cases), or by paying more, ensures a greater chance of
obtaining the lot.
billon
A low-grade alloy used for some minor coin issues consisting usually
of a mixture of silver and copper, and sometimes coated with a silver
wash.
bison, buffalo
Species considered typically North American, used on coinage and
paper money of the United States; bison is a better term than buffalo,
which is a more general term referring to a number of related but
different species outside North America.
bit
A popular term for the Spanish-American 1real piece (also Danish
West Indies and other neighboring islands) which formerly circulated
in the United States. More often used in the plural, as two bits
(25 cents) or four bits (50 cents). A bit is 12-1/2 cents.
blank
The disc of metal or other material on which the dies of the coin,
token or medal are impressed; also called disc, flan. In paper money,
a small colored disc embedded in the paper used as an anti-counterfeiting
device.
block
In paper money collecting, a series of related notes indicated by
the same prefix and suffix letters in the serial number. When the
suffix letter changes, a new block is created. The suffix currently
changes when the serial number reaches 99 920 000.
Blue Book
Nickname given to Handbook of United States Coins, an annual price
guide for collectors. The book has a blue cover, hence the nickname.
Gives wholesale prices, or what dealers might pay for U.S. coins.
bourse
Rhymes with "horse," the area at a coin show or convention
where dealers set up tables of collectibles for sale.
brass
Coinage metal alloy containing chiefly copper and zinc.
Britannia
Gold bullion coin and its fractionals to be issued by Great Britain
beginning in 1987; also, the allegorical figure representing Britain.
broadstrike
Coin struck outside a restraining collar. See also related article.
broken bank note
paper money of a defunct bank or a bank which has failed (broken),
but often applied to any obsolete bank note.
bronze
Coinage metal alloy containing chiefly copper and tin.
Brown Back
A Brown Back note is a Second Charter, First Issue national bank
note. Has brown ink on the back.
Buffalo nickel
More properly: Indian Head 5-cent piece.
buffalo
See bison.
bullion coin
A precious metal coin traded at the current bullion price.
bullion
Uncoined precious metal in the form of bars, plates, ingots, and
other items.
buyer's fee
Winning bidders in a public auction in the United States are usually
charged a buyer's fee based on a certain percentage of the winning
bid. Most U.S. auction houses charge a 15 percent buyer's fee; a
buyer placing a $110 hammer bid on a coin would pay an additional
$16.50
|