Numismatics is a specialized academic discipline concerned with the study of coins, medals, and paper currency. Often considered one of the ancillary sciences of history, it involves the identification, analysis, classification, and interpretation of such objects, including their material, production, decoration, and historical contexts. The name derives from the Latin word numisma (“coin”), and experts in the field are called numismatists, who typically specialize in different historical periods and regions, such as Renaissance medals, Roman republican coinage, and Judean coins. Although people collected coins already in antiquity, their systematic, professional study began only in the 19th century, with particular application […]
