Numismatic Verbiage

Denticles... Or dentils..... Which is correct?

 

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Both mean 'toothlike', but a dentil is more to do with architecture.

 

Denticles is what i have always used.

 

Dentils is what I see/read mostly -- by a bunch.

 

denticles
- small tooth like raised areas around the edge of a coin. Particularly on older coins. Often found all around the front (obverse) and back (reverse) of the coin, right next to the edge.

http://cointerms.com/glossary/d_definitions.htm

 

I have always thought it was denticles.

 

I have always used denticles but I have seen some of the more numismatically educated posters here use dentils. I suppose the terms may be somewhat interchangeable among folks that talk coins.

 

I personally usually use "dentils," but the terms are essentially interchangeable.

 

Nothing to add, I have always heard both used and most know either can be used to describe what you mean. Maybe its a geographic thing, uptight Northerners are all "they are denticles", while southerners are, "they're dentils ya'all!".

 

Something something "everything's bigger in Texas"...

 

I use denticles.

 

I think that the people who use Facebook, Twitter, and the like, use dentils rather than denticles because it's less typing/keystrokes. Just my opinion.

 

Yeah I use denticles. I've never heard someone use dentils before.

 

dentil= “any of a series of small, rectangular shaped blocks...used under the corona of Ionic, Corinthian and Composite cornices”...(architecture)...paraphrased from Dictionary.com.

@GDJMSP and others have the intent of usage right, they get the message across, either one...Spark

 

No matter which you use, a coin collector knows what you are talking about. Are we going to have to become politically correct?

 

Yes, by all means, let's make "denticles vs. dentils" a political banner. Because heaven knows we don't have enough of those.

 

I like GD's explanation best so why not use both. Thanks GD be safe

 

Politically correct? I just didn’t want to sound like a dummy when I commented on them.

 

Lentils taste better than dentils.