Portal:Numismatics

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Introduction

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money and related objects. While numismatists are often characterised as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the exchange of goods. Early money used by people is referred to as "Odd and Curious", but the use of other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even where used as a circulating currency (e.g., cigarettes in prison). The Kyrgyz people used horses as the principal currency unit and gave small change in lambskins; the lambskins may be suitable for numismatic study, but the horses are not. Many objects have been used for centuries, such as cowry shells, precious metals, cocoa beans, large stones, and gems.

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The U.S. Mint in New Orleans operated as a branch of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. During its years of operation, it produced over 427 million gold and silver coins of nearly every American denomination, with a total face value of over $307 million. It was closed during most of the American Civil War and the period called Reconstruction. After its decommissioning as a mint, the building served a variety of purposes, including as an assay office, a United States Coast Guard storage facility, and a fallout shelter. Since 1981 it has served as a branch of the Louisiana State Museum. As of August 2006 it is closed to the public pending repairs following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The New Orleans Mint has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and is currently the oldest surviving structure to have served as a U.S. Mint. Along with the Charlotte Mint, it is one of two former mint facilities in the United States to house an art gallery.

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Credit: The Euro Information Website & Sniff
Spanish €2 commemorative coin Centenary of the first edition of Miguel de Cervantes' El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (2005).

Did you know...

...that with its two-dollar coin (reverse pictured), Newfoundland was the only British colony to issue circulating gold coinage?
...that Mount Burgess is nicknamed the Ten Dollar Mountain because it was featured on Canadian currency?
...that the American Buffalo gold bullion coin was the first .9999 fine 24-carat gold coin released by the United States Mint?
...that the Alabama centennial half dollar was the first commemorative coin minted with the image of a living individual?
...that Aksumite currency was the only native coinage to be issued in Africa without direct influence by an outside culture like Roman, Greek, etc...?

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The British decimal Two Pence (2p) coin was issued by the Royal Mint on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. In practice it had been available from banks in bags of £1 for some weeks previously.

The coin was initially minted from bronze, but since 1992 it has been minted in copper-plated steel except for a few months in 1998 when bronze was used again. As copper-plated steel is less dense than bronze, post-1992 coins have been slightly thicker. The coin weighs 7.1 grams and has a diameter of 25.9 millimetres.

Banknotes

Credit: commons:User:Timur lenk
Front of 1902 50 Austro-Hungarian korona.

Numismatic terminology

Bullion – Precious metals (platinum, gold and silver) in the form of bars, ingots or plate.
Error – Usually a mis-made coin not intended for circulation, but can also refer to an engraving or die-cutting error not discovered until the coins are released to circulation. This may result is two or more varieties of the coin in the same year.
Exonumia – The study of coin-like objects such as token coins and medals, and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration.
Fineness – Purity of precious metal content expressed in terms of one thousand parts. 90% is expressed as .900 fine.
Notaphily – The study of paper money or banknotes.
Scripophily – The study and collection of stocks and Bonds.

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Subcategories

Numismatic categories • Currency lists

Banknotes
Bullion coins
Coins
Commemorative coins
Currency images
Exonumia
Mints (currency)
Currency unions
Numismatists
Numismatics journals
Postal orders

Central banks
Currencies
Circulating currencies
Historical currencies
US community currencies
Canadian community currencies
Mints
Motifs on banknotes

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Numismatic News

January 1, 2008 Venezuela launched a new currency with the new year, lopping off three zeros from denominations in a bid to simplify finances and boost confidence in a money that has been losing value due to high inflation. The new currency is called bolívar fuerte or "strong bolívar". Officials also say it is part of a broader effort to contain rising prices and strengthen the economy. More...

January 1, 2008

Today at midnight, the Cyprus and the Malta adopted the euro as their official currency; less than four years after their accession to the European Union. The single currency has replaced the Cypriot pound and the Maltese lira at a rate of one euro to 0.585274 Cypriot pound and 0.4293 to the Maltese lira. In both countries the euro was welcomed with outdoor celebrations, including a fireworks display in Malta's capital Valletta. More...

September 26, 2007

Designs for three of four themes proposed for the reverse of 2009 Lincoln cents to honor Abraham Lincoln's life were endorsed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. More...

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