ChatterBank1 min ago
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Anyone know the name given to the face of a coin?
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No best answer has yet been selected by Sausagegirl. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Kags is right...i found this.......obverse
- the front side of a coin. Usually the obverse side of a coin has the main design, date and sometimes mintmark. The back of the coin is called the reverse. In the 1800's obverse and reverse meant the opposite of what they mean today.( http://lynncoins.com/dictionary.htm
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You don't specify which face you want to know the name of, both sides are "faces", presumably you do mean the "head" side, which is indeed called the obverse.
We believe the answer about obverse and reverse changing their meanings is incorrect, but there are many coin issues where the obverse does not have a head on it, perhaps a coat-of-arms instead, and sometimes a reverse does have a head instead or in addition to that on the obverse.
There is a definition and brief explanation of obverse, reverse and other numismatic terms at:-
http://www.24carat.co.uk/numismaticterms.html