Coin collecting may have existed in ancient times. Caesar Augustus gave “coins of every device, including old pieces of the kings and foreign money” as Saturnalia gifts.
Coin collecting – or ‘numismatics’, to use its technical term – is one of the most rewarding pastimes imaginable. Many collectors have taken up collecting after inheriting a collection from their grandfather or uncle, and it is certainly a hobby that unites the generations in a shared fascination with the past.
Coin collecting may have existed in ancient times. Caesar Augustus gave “coins of every device, including old pieces of the kings and foreign money” as Saturnalia gifts.
Petrarch, who wrote in a letter that he was often approached by vine diggers with old coins asking him to buy or identify the ruler, is credited as the first Renaissance collector. Petrarch presented a collection of Roman coins to Emperor Charles IV in 1355.
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The first book on coins was De Asse et Partibus (1514) by Guillaume Budé.[9] During the early Renaissance, ancient coins were collected by European royalty and nobility.
Collectors of coins were Pope Boniface VIII, Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV of France, Ferdinand I, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg who started the Berlin coin cabinet and Henry IV of France to name a few. Numismatics is called the “Hobby of Kings,” due to its most esteemed founders.
Collectors of coins were Pope Boniface VIII, Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV of France, Ferdinand I, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg who started the Berlin coin cabinet and Henry IV of France to name a few. Numismatics is called the “Hobby of Kings,” due to its most esteemed founders.
The Maria Theresa Thaler (MTT) silver coin is the world’s most famous coin. It is named after Empress Maria Theresa, who ruled over Austria, Hungary and Bohemia from 1740-1780. The silver bullion coin has been in use in world trade continuously since it was first minted in 1741.
It could also be found throughout the Arab world, especially in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman, Africa, especially in Ethiopia and India. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in World War II, enough people preferred it to the money issued by the occupying forces that the American Office of Strategic Services created counterfeit MTTs for use by resistance forces.
In the 20th century, coins gained recognition as archaeological objects. After World War II in Germany, a project, Fundmünzen der Antike (Coin finds of the Classical Period) was launched, to register every coin found within Germany. This idea found successors in many countries.
The Maria Theresa Thaler (MTT) silver coin is the world’s most famous coin. It is named after Empress Maria Theresa, who ruled over Austria, Hungary and Bohemia from 1740-1780. The silver bullion coin has been in use in world trade continuously since it was first minted in 1741. It could also be found throughout the Arab world, especially in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Muscat and Oman, in Africa, especially in Ethiopia, and in India.
Exonumia is the study of coin-like objects such as token coins and medals and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration. This includes elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, badges, counter stamped coins, wooden nickels, credit cards, and other similar items.
Notaphily is the study of paper money or banknotes. It is believed that people have been collecting paper money for as long as it has been in use. However, people only started collecting paper money systematically in Germany in the 1920s, particularly the Serienscheine (Series notes) Notgeld.
Some countries are famous for their gold- and silver coins; others are less well-known but also issue stunning coins in precious metals. South African gold, for example, has been renowned for its quality for over 150 years and the South African ‘Kruger Rand’ is one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’, the seven most famous gold coins in the world.
The rise in the gold price may be the reason why miniature gold coins are proving so popular among coin collectors. With a diameter of only 11-13 mm, these coins are minted in solid gold but are still affordable. However, the small size is a challenge for the minting process, and only the most experienced mints in the world are issuing these small sizes.
Old coins often have an aesthetic value that is just as important to collectors as their historical interest or rarity. Some are works of art in their own right, crafted by the finest engravers, designers and sculptors of their time, and are collectable on these grounds alone.