What is Numismatists

By Marcus Lewis


So you're a coin collector, right? Not a bad hobby collecting small art works of art from around the world of time eras long gone past. Including a few gems here in the now and present.

But have you noticed regarding the background of the coin you possess with you? Have you ever asked yourself how that coin was developed? Why it had been created? Or think about the way of life of people that used that coin in their lives?

This is exactly what makes collecting coins much fun - as a numismatist! Numismatic is a lot more than just collecting coins. It's study regarding coins. It's where you take the coin within your hand, and also you conduct some research to learn more this particular coin.

For example, numismatists would have a look at a George Washington quarter and say, "Why does this coin say 'In God We Trust'?"

Certainly, the words In God We Trust initially appeared on an 1864 two-cent coin. It became popular, and it also started to show up on some other coins until in 1955 Congress required that ALL coins and paper currency include the words In God We Trust. Now you understand. Numismatists would check out a dime, quarter, half-dollar or dollar and want to know why the side of the coin is grooved...? Well, as strange as it may seem those grooved sides really have a reason.

Back long ago coins were minted in precious metals.

Metals which includes silver and gold. The grooved edges kept people truthful. To start with, it helped to detour counterfeit. Next, it kept people from shaving a tiny bit of the precious metal off around the sides to have for themselves.

Today it doesn't certainly matter with regard to the precious metal shavings, but it's still done due to custom and also for the impaired. As an illustration, a dime and penny are approximately the same size. The grooved rim around the dime could be immediately recognized.

Okay, final example here. Numismatists could even look at a coin and consider Why it had been created. One such coin would be the Lincoln cent. Why was the cent redesigned and a dead United States president placed on the obverse side?

In 1909 the Lincoln cent was issued to honor the 100th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The George Washington quarter was produced for similar reason... It was released in 1932 to honor the 200th birthday of George Washington, our first president.

The dime, the nickel, the half dollar... All of these coins were created to remember or recognize one of our great leaders for different factors.

Realizing that reason really changes your complete perspective on the coin, and it also allows you to consider it in another way to the next time you trade it in for a Coca-Cola.

Collecting coins is undoubtedly an wonderful hobby, and plenty of individuals begin gathering up these little pieces of art because of the beauty. But if you need to take your collecting to a different level. Become involved with it in the "why" of coin collecting... Step on to the numismatic world.

The aforementioned examples I offered are just a few coins in the United States time of minting. The United States Mint has only been creating coins since 1793, but coinage has been around since around 700 B.C. We're young in terms of coin minting.

Exactly why do I mention this? Well, only to tell you that there's no absence in terms of being familiar with the hobby all of us hold dear to our own hearts - numismatics




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