Fundamentals: Fields, Devices, Rims

Fields are the open spaces on the coin, analogous to the canvas on a painting.

Devices are design elements that are placed on the fields, for example the bust, and lettering such as dates, denomination, and mottos.

Components of a Coin

Each side of a coin consists of Fields and Devices. In this illustration the red arrows point to the open fields and the blue arrows point to devices.

Fundamentals: Business Strike and Proof

There are primarily two kinds of coins; Business Strike (also known as Mint State), and Proof. Mint state coins are used for spending money, and Proof coins are much higher quality coins that are made mostly for collectors. Proofs can be recognized easily due to their mirrored surfaces and fully detailed devices.

Cameo Proofs

When proof coins are struck under intense pressure white raised “frosty” surfaces (Cameo) can result These Cameo proofs have a strong contrast between the frosty devices and the mirrored fields. Here is an example:

Reverse Proofs

While Proofs have mirrored fields and frosty devices, Reverse Proofs have frosty fields and mirrored devices!

Proof

Reverse Proof

The First US Mint Reverse Proof

The first Reverse proof made by the US Mint is the 2006-P American Silver Eagle. This coin was issued in a three coin set to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the creation of the Silver Eagle in 1986.

Other reverse proofs have been made with silver, gold, copper, and copper/nickel coins.

The 2018 Reverse Proof Set

In 2018 the Mint issued a Reverse Proof Set in addition to the Silver Proof Set and the Clad Proof Set. The 2018 Reverse Proof Set has an example of each coin in Reverse Proof format.

Here are examples of each of these Reverse Proof coins:

Latest Reverse Proof Issues

In the last two years the Mint included an extra coin along with the Silver Proof sets. In 2019 they included a Reverse Proof cent with the Silver Proof set, not in the hard-plastic case but separately in an envelope. In 2020 they included a Reverse Proof Nickel.

It wouldn’t be a big surprise to find a Dime in the 2021 set, but who knows? If it is a dime, what would 2022 bring?

Interesting times…