Hobby terms like "type" and "variety" can confuse new collectors, especially when some hobbyists use them interchangeably (they shouldn't).
Add terms like "subtype" and "die states" to the lexicon, and even more experienced collectors can feel the need to reach for a good numismatic glossary.
Understanding hobby jargon offers more than just having a strong vocabulary. It can arm a collector with knowledge that will be useful when dealing with those who inaccurately use these specialized terms or even deliberately misuse them.
Knowing the difference between "die variety" and "die state" can help a coin collector determine whether a coin being offered as one or the other is accurately described (key to understanding whether a particular piece is accurately priced).
The terms "type," "variety" and "die state" are commonly encountered in the coin collecting community, so all are defined here. "Subtype," also defined, is encountered less frequently, but should be used more widely, Coin World staff believes.
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THREE DIFFERENT DESIGNS of 5-cent coin reflect three distinct types. From left to right are the Shield, Liberty Head and Indian Head 5-cent coins. Types share a common obverse and reverse design.
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Type
The word "type" is the one of the most basic hobby terms. Simply, "type" describes a specific series sharing common obverse and reverse designs.
Examples: The Shield, Liberty Head, Indian Head and 1938 to 2003 Jefferson 5-cent coins represent four different design types, each distinct from the others.
When 1938 and 2003 Jefferson 5-cent coins are placed side by side (as the first and last of the series), even a noncollector would recognize the two coins as being of the same type. The designs are identical (well, they really are not; new master dies have been engraved several times over the decades, but that is a subject for another article); the same is true for all of the Jefferson 5-cent coins issued from 1939 through 2002.
Similarly, noncollectors would likely (and accurately) identify 1866 and 1883 Shield 5-cents as being of the same type, and make the same determination for the 1883 and 1912 Liberty Head 5-cent coins, and the 1913 and 1938 Indian Head 5-cent coins.
"Type" is actually a pretty easy concept to understand, right?
Not so fast.
What about the 2004 Jefferson 5-cent coins? They share a common obverse with the 1938 to 2003 5-cent coins, but no common reverse.
In fact, the 2004 Jefferson 5-cent coins appear with two different reverses.
So how do we describe the 2004 coins? Are the 2004 coins of the same type as the 1938 to 2003 coins? For that matter, given that two different reverses exist on 2004 Jefferson 5-cent coins, do two different types exist for that year?
The answers are not so simple.
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MODIFICATIONS TO the Bison reverse of the Indian Head 5-cent coin did not change the basic design but created two subtypes for the series. The top image depicts the Bison on Mound subtype, with the Bison on Plain subtype appearing at the bottom. The new subtype was a permanent change, found on all dies from mid-1913 onward.
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American collectors have long assigned the obverse of a coin more importance than the reverse, although nicknames often derive from reverse designs (the "V nickel" for the Liberty Head 5-cent coin and the "Buffalo nickel" for the Indian Head 5-cent coin both derive from reverse design elements). Albums, holders and grading service "slabs" all display the obverse as the dominant side.
Technically, because of their distinctive reverses, the 2004 Jefferson 5-cent coins are different types than the 1938 to 2003 Jefferson 5-cent coins. However, most collectors will include the 2004 coins with their sets of 1938 to 2003 Jefferson 5-cent coins and think of them as all representing the same type because they share a common obverse. There is nothing wrong with following that practice.
(The 2005 Jefferson 5-cent coins, with their new portrait of Thomas Jefferson and two new reverse designs, are easily and correctly called a new type, since they share no designs with the earlier Jefferson 5-cent coins.)
So, type represents a specific design, an easy concept even for a noncollector to understand.
But when that same noncollector looks more closely at the 1883 and 1912 Liberty Head 5-cents, he or she may notice that the major design element on the reverse - a Roman numeral V representing the denomination - and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM are positioned slightly differently on the two pieces, and the 1912 coin bears the word CENTS while the 1883 coin does not.
Are these two coins truly of the same type? They look alike, but they don't look exactly alike, either.
This brings us to the next term: subtype.
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DIE VARIETIES are represented by such things as the 1916 Indian Head, Doubled Die Obverse cent. The doubled date was created during die production and is unique to one die. All coins struck from this die, from the first piece to the last one, will bear the die doubling shown.
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Subtype
A closer examination of the designs on all three of the 5-cent coin types struck from 1866 to early 1938 reveals that within each type, differences exist that alter some element of obverse or reverse design without completely changing the design. These differences were used on all dies produced for the remainder of the series upon the introduction of the changes.
Coin World staff calls these differences "subtypes." The term "subtype" is not widely used, but Coin World believes the term is appropriate for changes of a certain kind.
A "subtype" is characterized by a deliberate modification to a design that, while altering it, leaves the basic design concept recognizable as a distinctive type even with the modification. The design modification is made to all dies from that point onward.
The modifications that result in a new subtype are generally introduced to correct a design problem that became apparent only once full-scale production began and the coins entered circulation.
We will continue using 5-cent coins to explain "subtype."
For the Shield 5-cent coins, two major subtypes exist. The 1866 coins and the first 1867 coins feature 13 rays interspaced with the 13 stars on the reverse. The majority of 1867 Shield 5-cent coins and all of those struck from 1868 through the end of the series in mid-1883 lack the rays.
The Mint engraver removed the rays from the reverse design to improve how well the coin struck. Even minor changes like this can result in a much better looking coin (the metal may flow more fully into the recesses of the dies, making design elements stronger) and extend die life.
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THE MAJOR DIE BREAK (arrow) on the reverse of a 1913 Indian Head 5-cent coin represents a die state. The die broke after it began striking coins. The die break is unique to this die. Some hobbyists might consider this a die variety rather than a die state. "Die state" is more accurate because the die broke after it began striking coins, not during die production (as on a die variety).
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The two variations of the design type are clearly of the same basic type, but, because the change was made to every die once adopted, represent different subtypes. Thus, two subtypes exist for Shield 5-cent coins: the With Rays subtype and the Without Rays or No Rays subtype.
Distinct subtypes also exist within the three other types of 5-cent coins.
The first 1883 Liberty Head 5-cent coins bear the Roman numeral V to identify the denomination, but no other denominational marking. Criminals quickly took advantage of the situation by plating the coins with gold and passing them as gold $5 half eagles, which are of almost identical diameter (21.21 millimeters for the 5-cent coin, 21.54 millimeters for the $5 coin).
The Mint engraver quickly modified the reverse by moving the V up slightly, moving the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM from below the point of the V to above the top of the numeral, and - most importantly - added the word CENTS to the design in the original location of the motto.
As with the With Rays and No Rays subtypes, the No CENTS and With CENTS subtypes are clearly of the same design type but represent a permanent design change distinctive enough to warrant subtype classifications.
Two reverse subtypes exist for the Indian Head 5-cent coins, both introduced in 1913. The basic reverse design depicts a bison, facing to the viewer's left, standing on a piece of ground. The denomination FIVE CENTS rests below the bison's feet.
On the first version, the ground on which the bison the stands is raised above the plain of the coin's fields all the way to the rim. The denomination sits exposed on top of the raised ground, where it is subject to quick wear.
To correct this problem, the Mint engraver carved away most of ground, creating a recess for the denomination, which rests protected by the raised rim below and sliver of raised ground above.
The first subtype is called the Bison on Mound, since the ground is clearly a raised mound. The second subtype is called the Bison on Plain since the ground has been flattened out.
While "subtype" is a little more difficult to understand than "type," once you comprehend the basics of "subtype" - a deliberate modification made to one side that leaves the basic design identifiable as the original type, appearing on all of the dies for that side once the modification is introduced - the concept is easy to comprehend.
So why do some individual dies within a type or even a subtype appear different than other individual dies, from the moment of their manufacture?
That takes us to a third term: die variety.
Die variety
A die variety represents a change made to an individual die during its production that distinguishes that die from all other dies of the same denomination, type, subtype and date. All coins struck from that die, from the first coin to the last, will bear that distinctive difference from coins struck from those other dies.
These changes either can occur accidentally or deliberately. The important thing to remember is that the changes arise during the production of the affected die, before it strikes a single coin.
Modernized die production methods have virtually eliminated die varieties on U.S. coins. Die varieties abound in 18th and 19th century coinage due to the hands-on production methods used to make dies. Letters in legends, numerals in dates and denominations, Mint marks and other smaller design elements were punched or engraved into individual working dies by hand.
While diesinkers strove to make dies as identical as possible, the placement of, say, the date, could be slightly different on each die. The space between individual numerals could differ as well, depending on whether four single numeral punches, a multi-numeral logotype or both a multinumeral logotype and individual punches were used.
Typical die varieties of this era include overdates (one or more numerals punched over different numbers in the date), legends with crowded spacing, dates with different sized numerals and more.
Die varieties found beginning in the mid-19th century and surviving into the late 20th century include such things as doubled dies (the 1916 Indian Head, Doubled Die Obverse 5-cent coin, for example), repunched Mint marks and over Mint marks (1954-S/D and 1955-D/S Jefferson 5-cent coins).
Again, the differences these dies sport were created during die production, with all coins struck from an affected die featuring the difference.
The term "die variety" may be the most misused and abused term discussed in this article. Many sellers use the term to describe things that are more accurately called "die states."
Die state
"Die state" refers to an identifiable period in a die's life.
A die's state can be distinguished by such things as wear (from striking coins) and abrasion (from the use of an abrasive by a Mint employee, generally to efface some sort of damage occurring to the die), or their absence.
It can also be distinguished by such things as die cracks, die chips, major die breaks ("cuds"), die gouges and clash marks, or their absence. (Some hobbyists distinguish these forms of die damage as representing a "die stage" rather than a "die state," but that usage is not universal.)
As noted, some hobbyists use the term "die variety" when they should be using "die state."
While a die variety and a die state is unique to each die, it is important to remember that "die state" changes after a die goes into coinage production and is ever changing due to the wear and tear dies receive while striking coins.
Coins struck from early in a die's life will look somewhat different than coins struck later in its life, especially if tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or even a million coins have been struck with the die. The normal wear and damage that can occur to a die will be reflected on the coins it strikes. Although dies are harder than the coins they strike, the repetition of striking coin after coin takes a toll.
Specialists classify coins as early die state, middle die state and late die state. The terms should be self-explanatory, referring as they do to the different periods in a die's life. The coins struck from a die in these various states are distinguished by the amount of die wear.
The terms type and subtype, die variety and die state are not difficult to understand once you learn the basics. Knowing these terms puts you on a more knowledgeable level than those who do not understand them. And knowledge protects a collector when buying and selling coins.
