- Last Five Inches
- Conversation overheard between two dealers at Long Beach, California
coin show, February 1993:
Dealer 1: Can I see that 1924 Peace Dollar in your case?
Dealer 2: Here it is.
Dealer 1: [examining coin up close]. Nah! Not as sharp as I expected. From a
distance it looks better. See what that last five inches does?
- Libs
- Liberty head $10 or $20 gold pieces. "Got any Libs or
Saints I can buy back of bid?"
- Lincoln in a Porthole
- $10 United States Note issued between 1923 and 1928. Lincoln's portrait
is in a circular frame, hence the nickname.
- Lines
- Hairlines. Fine scratches, most often seen on Proof coins as these have
deeply reflective mirror fields which get minute scratches easily. Lines are
detrimental to a coin's value, moreso when they are noticeable to the naked
eye. By the late 1970s, and on into the no-nonsense-grading 1980s, dealers
became pathologically picky about any detracting hairlines on a coin. The
grading services PCGS and NGC are extremely harsh on Mint State coins
displaying any lines.
- Little Princess
- 1841 $2.50 gold piece. It is believed that only 20 of these were minted,
all Proofs. Whenever one appears for sale it is an important event. The
nickname Little Princess has been used for this coin at least since the
1930s. Origin unknown.
- Looks Unc
- Looks Uncirculated. See
slider.
- Luster Breaks
- Small nicks or light rubbing on the high points of an otherwise mint
coin. See slider.
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Numismatica / 15 Sep 2003