EDGE

- The narrow, cylindrical surface of a coin, which may be plain, or reeded or otherwise marked.

EFFIGY

- The likeness or image of a person as portrayed on a coin. See also Bust, Design, Portrait.

ELECTROTYPE

- A copy or reproduction, of a coin, token, or medal made by the electroplating process.

ELECTRUM

- A natural mixture of gold and silver.

EMBATTLEMENT BORDER

- A particular border arrangement.

"EMPEROR" OF CANADIAN COINS

- The designation accorded the 1911 Pattern Dollar of which there are only two known to exist in silver. One belongs to the Royal Mint and is on load to the Band of Canada in Ottawa; the other is in private ownership and was syndicated as the "1911 Dollar Associated" in 1981 by its partner owners. Only one of the partners is Canadian.

ENGRAILED

- A margin or edge of a coin, formed by a circle, or with a ring of pellets having a series of curvilinear indentations.

ENGRAVER

- The person who cuts a design into a coinage die.

ERASING THE DATE

- Grinding the date's digits from the hubbing die.

ERROR

- A defective coin, such as a coin struck on a clipped planchet. Defective pieces are mostly culled from the production lines of the mint and returned to the melting pot.

ESSAY

- A trial piece, struck in a metal other than that used for coinage, as a rule, and generally to ascertain the condition of the dies during the engraving process. The French work is "Essai."

EVASION

- A close copy of a coin with sufficient intentional differences of design or legend to attempt to avoid being in violation of the counterfeiting laws.

EXERGUE

- The portion of the coin below the device. Often one or two lines divide the exergue from the rest of the coin. Usually the exergue contains the date.

EXONUMIA

- Numismatic items not of government issue.

EXPERIMENTAL PIECES

- Pieces which are struck for the purpose of testing a new alloy, design feature, etc. See also Trial Piece.

EYE APPEAL

- An indication of the quality of a coin as judged from first impressions. A coin that looks nice has "good eye appeal" however subjective this impression may be. Uncirculated coins that just miss out grading one grade higher but that have fantastic toning are often improperly sold at the higher grade because of their exceptional eye appeal.

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