Hobbies And Interests
Numismatic Defined
According to the Webster Dictionary, numismatic (pronounced Nu`mis`mat´ic) means: "Of or pertaining to coins; relating to the science of coins or medals." It is derived from the Latin word "numisma," which means coin.
Beyond Collecting
Numismatics not only takes the date of a coin into consideration, but also its design, composition and historical significance. Did you know the Lincoln Cent has more mint errors than any other coin? This is because the cent is nearly 100 years old and has gone through several design changes, leaving it wide open for minting errors.
Beyond Coins
Numismatics also takes into consideration the study of paper money, although the specific branch of just studying paper money or bank notes is called notaphily. This area of numismatics has become quite popular since the Internet has made it quite easy to find, buy and sell currency worldwide.
Beyond Currency
The world of medals also falls under the umbrella of numismatics. Commemorative medals are often fashioned after significant events, historical people or anniversaries of organizations. There are medals, for instance, that were made before 1900 honoring Queen Victoria.
Beyond Medals
You know those round tokens you toss into the toll booth basket? Those are also part of the numismatic world. Rather than being minted by the government, tokens are usually produced by a private company for a specific use, such as toll roads, subways or even arcades.