Uncirculated coin
Encyclopedia
The term uncirculated coin can refer to three things:
- A coinCoinA coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
that is released to the public but not intended for general circulation (i.e. not used for moneyMoneyMoney is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
although it has an actual value) but is available through a mint or through a local coin dealer. Most uncirculated coins of this type are either commemorative coinCommemorative coinCommemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
s made of gold, silver, or platinum bullion coins (see picture below); actual uncirculated rolls or bags of coins (see next bullet and picture below); special coinage sets; or proof setsProof coinageProof coinage means special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies and for archival purposes, but nowadays often struck in greater numbers specially for coin collectors . Many countries now issue them....
(see pictures below).
- A coin that has been officially gradedCoin gradingIn coin collecting coin grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, one of the key factors in determining its value as a collector's item....
as in "Mint State 60+"; - The process by which a coin is made. The U.S. Mint uses this definition, since uncirculated coins are made in a different way than those released to the general public for use as money.