NUMISMATIC - COIN WORLD

Where did the word “numismatics” come from? First documented as an English word in the early part of the 1800s, this word derived from a French adjective, numismatiques, which means "of coins." In turn, that word came from the Latin word for “coin.” The meaning of the word gets even more interesting when the Latin word gets traced back to the original Greek that it was borrowed from. After some iterations, the word came from the Greek nemō, or "I dispense or divide."

Numismatic

Measuring the value of gold: Precious metals basics

  • By Staff

  • Published: May 12, 2015, 10 AM
The standard gold brick, or bullion bar, contains 1,000 troy ounces.

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Gold is valued not only for its beauty, but also for its high resistance to corrosion, its malleability and its longevity. Gold will not readily combine with other metals. It is one of the greatest conductors of electricity.

A cubic foot of solid gold weighs about 1,200 pounds. The standard gold brick, or bullion bar, contains 1,000 troy ounces.

MORE: CoinWorld.com's precious metals basics

The purity of gold is measured in fineness, parts of gold per 1,000. Pure gold is called 24 karat. A small quantity of silver will reduce the yellowish color of gold, and with added quantities it will develop a greenish color. Copper added will deepen the gold color. A pure white alloy is obtained by adding platinum, nickel or zinc; this is called white gold or jeweler’s gold, and can also be produced by alloying yellow gold with palladium.

The above is an excerpt from the eighth edition of the Coin World Almanac, published by Amos Media Company in 2011.

Community Comments

Numismatics is about more than just coins.

While many people use numismatics as a general term to refer only to the study of coins, this word actually refers to the study of all kinds of money. As such, it includes the study of coins and also paper bills, tokens, and other related objects that have been used as currency by various people throughout history, as well as noncurrency items like medals. Some kinds of money used at different points in history might surprise novice numismatists; for example, a culture might have used shells as a currency. 

Barter, or the trade of objects and services for other objects and services, has long been used in the marketplace and continues today. In some cases, the line between barter and currency still provides a topic of debate, but in most cases, articles about numismatics cover subjects like coins and paper money. Numismatics might become easier to comprehend by understanding the numismatic values of coins and paper money, and this refers to the value of a coin or note that is higher than the intrinsic or face value. In other words, this could also be called the collectible value. For example, a historical gold coin has an inherent value that is based upon its bullion value. It may also have a face value, or the actual value of the money assigned by the country that produced it. However, that same coin might be worth much more than the gold or the face value because it is rare, historically significant, beautiful, and/or designed by a famous artist.

Ultimately, understanding numismatics really depends upon understanding the nature of money. In the past, money might have been shells, gems, or precious metals. Today, most societies rely upon coins and paper money, but in this digital age, even that has begun to change as billions of dollars get exchanged every day electronically without the need for physical currency. Even more revolutionary, there are new digital currencies that have never been based upon any nation's physical currency. As it has in the past, it is likely that the study of numismatics will continue to evolve as currency evolves.