Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A space on the reverse of a coin or medal, usually below the central design and often giving the date and place of engraving.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In numismatics, that part of the reverse of a coin or medal which is below the main device (“type”), and distinctly separated from it, generally by a line.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Numis.) The small space beneath the base line of a subject engraved on a coin or medal. It usually contains the date, place, engraver's name, etc., or other subsidiary matter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun numismatics A space beneath the main design on a coin for the insertion of the date.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French : Greek ex-, ex- + Greek ergon, work; see werg- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • A space on a coin, usually on the reverse below the central part of the design; frequently the location where the date is shown. (Thank you, frindley.)

    April 18, 2008

  • Circled in David Foster Wallace's dictionary:

    DFW

    March 13, 2010

  • place for date??

    March 22, 2012