numismatics

/ˌn(j)uːmɪzˈmatɪks/

nounC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Numismatics is the collecting and study of coins. A society for numismatics.

It covers medals and paper money too, and it is as much history as collecting. Numismatics can date a site from one coin more precisely than most other evidence can.

Definitions of numismatics

1nounnumismaticsThe collecting and study of coins.C2
“Numismatics taught him more Roman history than school ever did.”

numismatics is a study.

Where it comes from

Through French from Greek nomisma, current coin, from nomos, custom, since a coin is worth what custom says.

Proto-Indo-European
*nem-
Ancient Greek
νόμισμα — current coin, custom
Latin
numisma
French
numismatique
English, today
numismatics

Built from

numismatis · Latin — coin
νομίζω · Ancient Greek — to hold or own as a custom, usage, to use customarily, practise, to be used to
νόμος · Ancient Greek — usage, custom
νέμω · Ancient Greek — to keep, hold, watch

From French numismatique, from Latin numisma, numismatis (“coin”), variant of Latin nomisma, from Ancient Greek νόμισμα (“current coin, custom”), from νομίζω (“to hold or own as a custom, usage, to use customarily, practise, to be used to”), from νόμος (“usage, custom”), from νέμω (“to keep, hold, watch”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Antiques & Collecting

Practise this word

numismatics in the wild

In fields of scholarship outside numismatics, the term front is more commonly used than obverse, while usage of reverse is widespread.
Obverse and reverse
In numismatics, coins often derived their value from the precious metal content; however, base metals have also been used in coins in the past and today.
Base metal
In numismatics, token coins or trade tokens are coin-like objects used instead of coins.
Token coin
The Centre for Ancient Epigraphy and Numismatics is a research centre of the University of Belgrade for the study epigraphy, inscriptions and numismatics of the ancient Balkans.
Centre for Ancient Epigraphy and Numismatics, University of Belgrade
A numismatist is a specialist, researcher, and/or well-informed collector of numismatics/coins ("of coins"; from Late Latin numismatis, genitive of numisma).
Numismatist

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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