1912 Numismatists: Improper Use of Terms "Proof" and "Counterstamped."

This is what Numismatist thought in 1912 (The Numismatist. April 1912, p. 116). Does it reflect current definitions?

 

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I can only imagine how they would react to today's "Reverse Proof" and "Enhanced Uncirculated" coins.

To make matters worse, how would they react to today's use of the English language both verbal and especially written by Millennials?

 

come bro, wth, y u gotta throw shade like dat. u meaning it, no cap, playa?

 

With terror and much bleating, I imagine. Also, rolling over in graves?

 

A new variety of English is being developed on forums like this. You don’t need to spell and typing a period is a waste of effort.

Of course, part of this is probably voice translation. It’s difficult for a program to decipher duh wo do deeb

 

Or “whizzed”, “cleaned”, “Uncirculated”, “Mint State”, and the list goes on. This hoppy is full of such colloquialisms.

I watched a video on the evolution of English between ca the Norman invasion (1166) to now, and it makes me wonder how the English language will evolve between now and say 2400. The evolution will likely slow down due to the permeation of “proper” grammar and spelling, but I wonder if it will evolve like Latin/Italian or English/French did where the higher end of society will speak/write a “high dialect” (grammatically-correct as is established in our time) and the lower end will speak/write a “low dialect” (highly colloquial without any adherence to proper grammar).

 

It's a living language, folks. If you want your language strictly controlled and centrally managed, learn French.

For those who complain about "kids these days" sounding uneducated when they speak or write, I would point to the language in the quoted article, or any public speech from the early 1900s. Against their grammar and vocabulary, all of us today sound dumb as rocks.

We aren't, though; it's just the ebb and flow of fashion. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if my (hypothetical) great-grandchildren grow up using long words and multi-level sentence structure, just because it bugs their parents...

 

I remember reading this long ago, in the 70s and 80s. Then the Internet happened, and "spell check" and "grammar check" triggered The Great Editor Extinction. Hello, Cambrian Explosion...

 

This is a great post. I often lament that people don't pay attention to what their choice of words actually means.
I grew up in a family owned import /export and once I needed to translate what things meant to people speaking other languages, on a regular basis, it was a real eye opener about the misuse of our common vocabulary

 

The meaning of "proof" is much different than it was in 1892/93. All those "proof" Columbians and Isabellas?

 

It seems that now "proof" can mean either a test strike [what I would call a "real proof"], or a specimen strike from polished dies. Is there any way to tell the difference with coins? When it comes to intaglio printed items [banknotes, bonds, etc.] there is a way. I have attached a scan of the approval proof of an engraving done for the United Aircraft and Transport Corp. [as noted on the back of the card]. There is no doubt that it is a "proof" in the original meaning of the term. I have not been able to find a stock certificate with this vignette [maybe it was never made?], but an intaglio mirror-image reprint was done in 1995 on the USPS issued Commemorative Panel for the Bessie Coleman stamp.

 

Back in the bad old days, proof was often used as a grade. Not uncommon to see dealer lists or auction catalogs listing coins in "proof condition". Hard to know if they were selling proofs as defined today, proof-like business strikes, or just high-grade business strikes. There were either no pics or low res B&W pics.

Cal

 

I understand that "proof" has a different meaning outside of numismatics, but its current numismatic sense is well-established, and has been for a long time. The US Mint has been using the term this way since long before all of us were born. If the US mint calls them "proof coins", that's what they're called.

Oh, and one other bit of bad news for purists:

https://catalog.usmint.gov/mint-annual-sets/#LincolnPennyCollection

 

Gross.

Also, I guess we should use specimen-like (SL) instead of proof-like (PL)?

 

Yo. Dats the way we roll these days

 

Who even owns a pencil these days?

 

I have a box of them. The yellow wooden kind. Does that count?

 

And I have a beige telephone with a rotary dial. That doesn't make it any less quaint.

 

I just got a program that will allow me to send emails with my 1920’s telegraph key.

 

Hmm... if the low and high stops sound different enough when you hit them, I'll bet you could come up with an app that just listens and can tell what you're sending...