Glossary of Numismatics - M

M

Master die

Original die from which working hubs are made.

Maundy money

An annual gift made on Maundy Thursday of a set of pure silver coins made by the Royal Mint and distributed personally by the Monarch to the poor of Canterbury. The number of sets reflects the number of years the Monarch has occupied the throne.

Medal Alignment

A method of striking coins in which both the obverse and reverse dies are aligned in the same direction. Most Canadian coins are struck this way.

Medal-coin

See also NCLT.

Milled edge

Raised rim around the outer surface of a coin.

Mint Error

Defective coin produced by a mint.

Mint Luster

Shiny "frost" on the surface of an uncirculated or mint state coin.

Mint Mark

Small letter (or other symbol) indicating at which mint the coin was struck. Examples are "S" for San Francisco on US coins or "A" for Paris on French coins.

Mint Roll

Uncirculated coins wrapped in rolls by issuing authority of a certain quantity.

Mint Set

Set of uncirculated coins packaged and sold by the mint.

Mint State(MS)

Another word for "Uncirculated" or "Fleur de Coin", usually used in North America. Conditions range from MS-60 to MS-70.

Mis-strike

Off centre striking of a coin.

Monster Box

Large plastic shipping boxes for silver bullion coins, holding 500 coins. US Silver Eagles are shipped in green monster boxes while Canadian Maple Leafs are shipped in red monster boxes.

Motto

Inspirational phrase or wording. Examples include "In God we Trust" on US coins or "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" on French coins.

Mule

Coin struck from two dies never intended to be used together.