Which is the correct term Dentils or Denticles?

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

I've seen it written both ways. Which is correct or are they interchangeable?

[MarkFeld]

"Dentils

The toothlike devices encircling the rim of some coins. Also known as denticles."

 

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

I was thinking that Dentils might be the British spelling? Like color / colour or center / centre.

[L1ncolnF4n]

Yes

[messydesk]

I was thinking that Dentils might be the British spelling? Like color / colour or center / centre.

Testils...

[RWB]

Historical and cultural preferences.... like "toe-mA-toe" and "toe-mah-toe" ? Or maybe denticles vs flutes ? Or flutes vs trumpets?

 

In the footnotes, "From Mine to Mint" has some interesting British vs American minting terms.

[rmpsrpms]

Why not include denticule? It is the only term that can easily be turned into an adjective. Thus the inner rim of a coin is "denticulated".

[messydesk]

I've always thought that a misplaced date punched in the denticles should be called an indenticlated date.

[Conder101]

I have to admit I've always called them denticals which is a word that doesn't actually exist. But I don't think I'm going to change.

[DWLange]

I've always used "denticles" in my writing, but "dentils" means the same thing in numismatics.

[RWB]

The are interlocking -- much like gear teeth, and were created in much the same way as were gear teeth.

[cpm9ball]

I've always thought that a misplaced date punched in the denticles should be called an indenticlated date.

 

If they were twins, it would be called an identicle date.

 

Chris

[WoodenJefferson]

Isn't a dentil just one denticle?

[RWB]

Is one sheep really more than one?

[delta]

To be strictly technical, going back to the latin derivation of these two terms, denticle is the diminutive, a small dentil. Since they're relative terms, the most appropriate usage of the two together is when you have notably different sizes of tooth-like structures to compare, with the larger ones being called dentils, and the smaller denticles. In the absence of a comparative context, the two terms become essentially interchangeable.