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Bullion Coin Anatomy


Like any other coin, a Bullion Coin's Anatomy is very easy to recognize, as you will see below, bullion coins are no different from any other coin.

All coins have a Legend, a Date of Issue, a Field, and a Relief, however, besides the 'Date of Issue' few people know how to identify the other attributes of a coin.

The biggest difference between Bullion coins other coins is that they are made for Investing in precious metals, not so much for collecting, and certainly not for circulating.

The bullion coin that is used on this page to help you learn a Bullion Coin's Anatomy is the 1oz. American Eagle Platinum Bullion Coin.









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The Obverse Side of a
Bullion Coin





coin anatomy obv





The Reverse Side of a
Bullion Coin





coin anatomy rev








Coin Edges

The edge of a coin is often referred to as the third side of a coin.






obverse & reverse of a coin

The Three Sides of a Coin

At least once in your life you've 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.

But, there is also a third side that will almost never come up when you flip a coin and that is the coin's "Edge."

The Free Bullion Investment Guide has over 100 coin pages, all of which are narrated using obverse, reverse and edge coin terminology.

reeded edgeThe "Edge"
is the Third Side of a Coin





Reeded Coin Edge









Lettered Edge









Plain Edge









Grained Edge














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Bullion Coin Anatomy
- Breakdown -









field and rim of coin


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


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





edge

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.






portrai


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







legend

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





bullion coin relief



Relief - The part of a coin’s design that is raised above the surface.







coin motto


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





weight and purity

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





face value of coin

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.




coins year of issue

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





initials


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










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Mint Marks





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

United States bullion coins are not minted with a Mint Mark.

It is the one way to recognize a Numismatic (Proof or Un-Circulated) American Eagle from the Bullion version of the coin.

Proof and uncirculated numismatic (collectors) versions of the American Eagle bullion coins have a "W" on their reverse side, representing the West Point Mint.

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


mexican mint markMexican Mint Mark
















For instance, Mexico includes their ("O" over an "M") mint mark on all of their minted Libertads.

Australia includes their "P" mint mark, representing the Perth Mint, on some of their bullion coins and not others.

Whereas, China and Canada, both do not indicate any Mint Marks on their bullion coins.
















Enhanced Anatomy
of the
American Eagle Platinum
Bullion Coin









Obverse




exploding coin obv





Reverse




exploding coin rev











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