| Numismatics is the scientific study of currency | | | | Greek coins. Other collectors of coins are Pontif |
| and its history in all its varied forms. While | | | | Boniface VIII, Italian poet Petrarch, Emperor |
| numismatists are often characterized as students | | | | Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV |
| or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes a | | | | of France, Ferdinand I, Elector Joachim II of |
| much larger study of payment media used to | | | | Brandenburg who started the Berlin coin cabinet |
| resolve debts and the exchange of goods. Lacking | | | | and Henry IV of France to name a few. |
| a structured monetary system, people in the past | | | | The 19th century was the most productive in |
| as well as some today lived in a barter society | | | | building up national collections and in publishing |
| and used locally found items of inherent or implied | | | | catalogues. Theodor Mommsen fostered the idea |
| value. Early money used by primitive people is | | | | of a general corpus of all Greek coins from all |
| referred to as "Odd and Curious," but the use of | | | | collections. An idea which is still not possible to be |
| other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even | | | | realized. |
| where used as a circulating currency (e.g., prison | | | | In 1931 the British Academy promoted the idea |
| cigarettes). The Kyrgyz people used horses as | | | | of the sylloge, systematic publications of single |
| the principal currency unit and gave small change | | | | collections, according to mints and each coin |
| in lambskins.[1] The lambskins may be suitable for | | | | illustrated. Some hundred volumes appeared until |
| numismatic study, but the horse is not. Many | | | | today. The idea was taken over by scholars of |
| objects have been used for centuries, such as | | | | medieval Britain and in 1993 in the field of Islamic |
| conch shells, precious metals and gems. | | | | numismatics. |
| Today, most transactions take place by a form | | | | In the 20th century as well the coins were more |
| of payment with either inherent, standardized or | | | | and more seen as archaeological object. After |
| credit value. Numismatic value may be used to | | | | World War II in Germany a project |
| refer to the value in excess of the monetary | | | | "Fundmünzen der Antike (Coin finds of the |
| value conferred by law. This is also known as the | | | | Classical Period)" were launched, to register every |
| "collector's value." | | | | coin found within Germany. This idea found |
| Economic and historical studies of money's use | | | | successors in many countries. |
| and development are separate to the | | | | Modern Numismatics |
| numismatists' study of money's physical | | | | In modern numismatics are the study of the coins |
| embodiment (although the fields are related; | | | | of the mid 17th to the 21st century, the period of |
| economic theories of money's origin depend upon | | | | machine struck coins. Their study serve more the |
| numismatics, for example). | | | | need of collectors than historical studies and it is |
| Coin collecting has existed since ancient times, it is | | | | quite often successfully pursued by amateur |
| known that Roman Emperors were among some | | | | scholars than by professional scholars. The focus |
| of the earliest coin collectors. It is called the | | | | of modern numismatics lies frequently in the |
| "Hobby of Kings" and rightfully so due to its most | | | | research of production and use of money in |
| esteemed founders. Numismatics reached its apex | | | | historical contexts using mint or other records in |
| due to the great demand during the late Middle | | | | order to determine the relative rarity of the coins |
| Ages and the early Renaissance. In this period | | | | they study. Varieties, mint-made errors, the |
| ancient coins were collected a great deal by | | | | results of progressive die wear, mintage figures |
| European royalty and nobility. It is known that | | | | and even the socio-political context of coin |
| Roman Emperors Augustus and Julius collected | | | | mintings are also matters of interest. |