Denver Gold and Silver Coin Glossary

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scarce
Not common, but not as uncommon as rare.

screw press
early hand-operated machine for striking coins.

scrip
Paper currency usually of denominations less than $1 issued as substitutes for currency to private persons or organizations. Tokens issued by coal mines and sutlers also are called scrip.

scripophily
The study and science of collecting financial documents, including stock certificates, shares, government and private bonds, and checks. A student of scripophily is a scripophilist.

seal
A device placed on paper money indicating authority of issue. Modern Federal Reserve notes have two seals, a green Department of Treasury seal and a black Fed seal.

seigniorage
The profits resulting from the difference between the cost to make a coin and its face value, or its worth as money and legal tender. Most coins cost less to make than their face value; when it becomes too expensive to make a certain coin, size, weight and composition are often changed.

serial number
Number used chiefly on paper money and sometimes on limited-issue medals to indicate order of production.

series
Related coinage of the same denomination, design and type, including modifications, or varieties, of design. The Lincoln/Wheat Ears cents of 1909 to 1958 represent a complete series.

sestertius
An ancient Roman coin; plural, sestertii.

shekel, sheqel
Shekel is a silver coin of ancient Judea of various weights; sheqel is modern Israeli denomination, plural "sheqalim."

silver certificate
Authorized by the Acts of Feb. 28, 1878, and Aug. 4, 1886. Were redeemable in silver coin, and in early to mid1960s, silver bullion. No longer produced, but all specimens remain legal tender although the notes can no longer be redeemed in silver.

Silver Dollar

slab
Popular nickname for certain kinds of protective coin encapsulation methods, especially those that are permanently sealed and rectangular.

slug
A term applied to the $50 gold coin issued by various private Mints in California from 1851 to 1855 occurring in both round and octagonal shapes, or to tokens manufactured expressly for use in certain coin-operated machines.

small date
A variety of coin on which the date is physically smaller than other varieties of the same year. Similar varieties include medium date and large date.

so-called dollar
A silver dollar-sized medal commemorating a special event.

souvenir card
Popular collectible item, usually well-printed on heavy paper using an engraving used on paper money. They also contain information of a historical or commemorative nature.

Souvenir Mint sets
An issue of the U.S. Mint, containing the coinage of one Mint. It is generally sold only at the Mint represented by the coins.

Special Mint sets (SMS)
Coins produced under special conditions by the United States Mint at San Francisco during the years 1965, 1966 and 1967. Coins have no Mint marks.

specie
In the form of coin, especially precious metal coin; paper money redeemable in coin. From Latin meaning "in kind"; see also fiat money.

star notes
Mainly intended as replacements for notes that were damaged or produced with errors or mistakes at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. On modern Federal Reserve notes, a solid star appears at the end of the serial number; on earlier notes, the star appears at the beginning of the number. Until the 1980s, star notes were also used to represent the 100 millionth note since the serial numbering machinery has only eight digits.

state coinages or notes
Refers to coins issued by one of four state governments (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont) between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution when the states' rights to issue coins were suspended. Among paper money, refers to notes issued between Declaration of Independence and Civil War by state governments. See also Colonial.

stater
Greek coin equal to two drachms or didrachm, or 12 obols.

Stella
A gold $4 pattern never issued for circulation. Also struck in other metals.

sterling silver
Silver that is .925 fine; in Israel, .935 fine silver. From the British standard "pound sterling."

store card
A token bearing a business name and/or address, and often intended as a local or adhoc medium of exchange as well as an advertisement for the issuer.

strike
The act of impressing the image of a die into a planchet, making a coin. The quality of strike is important when determining the amount of wear on a coin.

strip
Rolls of coinage metal to be punched into planchets.

surcharge
An extra charge placed on an item, the revenue of which is usually earmarked for a specific fund. It has been the recent practice of the United States Congress to place a surcharge on commemorative coins, sometimes to benefit a worthy organization.

syngraphics
The study of printed currency and related items; from "syngraph," a writing signed by all parties to a contract or bond.

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