Minor wear on the high points of an otherwise uncirculated numismatic piece which has been stored in a tray or cabinet. The wear is caused by rubbing when the tray or cabinet is moved and will adversely affect its value.
Sometimes a coin that looks in nearly mint condition but has a slight rub on it will be termed as suffering from 'Cabinet Friction'. In other words it's pretty much perfect but has a slight sign of friction on its surface that is probably due to the way it was stored and not wear from circulation.
Slight surface wear caused by friction between a coin and the tray or envelope in which it is contained.
faint rub on the highest points of coins, usually caused by sliding around in a tray.
Sometimes called "cabinet wear" or "cabinet rub" is worn to the higher portions of a coin's design, caused by being kept in an unlined wooden cabinet drawer over a long period of time. Collectors from about 1600 to the late 1800’s extensively used wooden cabinets for coin storage.
Slight disturbance seen on coins (usually on the obverse) that were stored in wooden cabinets used by early collectors to house their specimens. Often a soft cloth was used to wipe away dust, causing light hairlines or friction.
Slight friction seen on coins (usually the obverse) that were stored in wooden cabinets used by early collectors. To compound the problem, a soft cloth was often used to wipe dust away, causing light hairlines.