Encased Postage

Coin-shaped metallic encasement with a clear mica obverse, patented by John Gault, and used to place postage stamps inside. Encased postage was used to help alleviate coin shortages during the Civil War. The denomination was determined by the face value of the stamp inside.

See also - - Shinplaster, Fractional Currency, Postage Stamp Currency

Exergue

The area on a coin or medal that is below or around the general design, and is used to give secondary details about the coin. Examples may include areas of the coin that display the date or place of minting. Some definitions state that this area resides strictly on the reverse of the coin, while others state that it can be on either the obverse or reverse. The word comes from the French word for “highlight.”