Is it Heads or Tails?

Many people refer to the two sides of a coin as the "heads" side and the "tails" side. Coin collectors prefer to use the terms "obverse" and "reverse" for the same thing. But what do you call it when there is no portrait on either side of the coin? Which side is the obverse?

Although this situation is rare in U.S. coinage, it is a frequent challenge when collecting world coins. Fortunately, there are some conventions that help us to determine which side should be "up" on unfamiliar coins. Learn what these conventions are, and get some basic guidelines for telling which side is the obverse when there is no head on the coin.

• How to Tell the Obverse When There's no Portrait