Obverse and reverse

Roman Imperial coin of Tranquillina, struck c. 241, with her portrait on the obverse and her marriage to Gordian III depicted on the reverse in smaller scale; the coin exhibits the obverse – "head", and reverse – "tail" – a convention that still dominates much coinage today. Legends: SABINIA TRANQVILLINA AVG / CONCORDIA AVGG.
A Roman imperial coin of Marcus Claudius Tacitus, who ruled briefly from 275 to 276, follows the convention of obverse and reverse coin traditions. Legend: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG / VICTORIA GOTTHI

The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse tails. The surface between the faces is the edge.

In numismatics, the abbreviation obv. is used for obverse, while rev., ℞, and )( are used for reverse. Vexillologists use the symbols "normal" Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag for the obverse and "reverse" Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag for the reverse. The "two-sided" Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag, "mirror" Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side, and "equal" Reverse side is congruent with obverse side symbols are further used to describe the relationship between the obverse and reverse sides of a flag.

In fields of scholarship outside numismatics, the term front is more commonly used than obverse, while usage of reverse is widespread.

The equivalent terms used in codicology, manuscript studies, print studies and publishing are "recto" and "verso".

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