Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other means of payment used to resolve debts and exchange goods.
The earliest forms of money used by people are categorised by collectors as "odd and curious", but the use of other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even where used as a circulating currency (e.g., cigarettes or instant noodles in prison). As an example, the Kyrgyz people used horses as the principal currency unit, and gave small change in lambskins; the lambskins may be suitable for numismatic study, but the horses are not.[dubious ] Many objects have been used for centuries, such as cowry shells, precious metals, cocoa beans, large stones, and gems. (Full article...)
![]() Mehl c. 1950 |
The Krugerrand (/ˈkruːɡərænd/; Afrikaans: [ˈkry.ərˌrant]) is a South African coin, first minted on 3 July 1967 to help market South African gold and produced by Rand Refinery and the South African Mint. The name is a compound of Paul Kruger, the former President of the South African Republic (depicted on the obverse), and rand, the South African unit of currency. On the reverse side of the Krugerrand is a pronking springbok, South Africa's national animal.
By 1980 the Krugerrand accounted for more than 90% of the global gold coin market and was the number one choice for investors buying gold. However, during the 1980s and 1990s, Krugerrands fell out of favor as some western countries forbade import of the Krugerrand because of its association with the apartheid government of South Africa. (Full article...)Money - Coins - Banknotes - Electronic money - Exchange rate - Legal tender - Clubs - Terminology
Ancient currency: Asia - Byzantium - Greece - Primitive Money - Roman - Indian coinage
Modern currency: Africa - The Americas - Asia and the Pacific - Europe - Bullion coins - Challenge coin - Commemorative coins - Token coins
Economics: Banking - Bonds - Cheques - Credit Cards - Fiat currency - Gold standard - Mints - Monetary union - Reserve currency - Stocks
Production: Coining (machining) - Designers - Die making - Mint (coin) • Coinage Metals: Aluminum - Bronze - Copper - Gold - Platinum - Silver - Tin
Rank | Currency | ISO 4217 code |
Symbol or abbreviation |
Proportion of daily volume, April 2019 |
Proportion of daily volume, April 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
U.S. dollar | USD |
US$ |
88.3% | 88.5% |
2 |
Euro | EUR |
€ |
32.3% | 30.5% |
3 |
Japanese yen | JPY |
¥ / 円 |
16.8% | 16.7% |
4 |
Sterling | GBP |
£ |
12.8% | 12.9% |
5 |
Renminbi | CNY |
¥ / 元 |
4.3% | 7.0% |
6 |
Australian dollar | AUD |
A$ |
6.8% | 6.4% |
7 |
Canadian dollar | CAD |
C$ |
5.0% | 6.2% |
8 |
Swiss franc | CHF |
CHF |
5.0% | 5.2% |
9 |
Hong Kong dollar | HKD |
HK$ |
3.5% | 2.6% |
10 |
Singapore dollar | SGD |
S$ |
1.8% | 2.4% |
11 |
Swedish krona | SEK |
kr |
2.0% | 2.2% |
12 |
South Korean won | KRW |
₩ / 원 |
2.0% | 1.9% |
13 |
Norwegian krone | NOK |
kr |
1.8% | 1.7% |
14 |
New Zealand dollar | NZD |
NZ$ |
2.1% | 1.7% |
15 |
Indian rupee | INR |
₹ |
1.7% | 1.6% |
16 |
Mexican peso | MXN |
$ |
1.7% | 1.5% |
17 |
New Taiwan dollar | TWD |
NT$ |
0.9% | 1.1% |
18 |
South African rand | ZAR |
R |
1.1% | 1.0% |
19 |
Brazilian real | BRL |
R$ |
1.1% | 0.9% |
20 |
Danish krone | DKK |
kr |
0.6% | 0.7% |
21 |
Polish złoty | PLN |
zł |
0.6% | 0.7% |
22 |
Thai baht | THB |
฿ |
0.5% | 0.4% |
23 |
Israeli new shekel | ILS |
₪ |
0.3% | 0.4% |
24 |
Indonesian rupiah | IDR |
Rp |
0.4% | 0.4% |
25 |
Czech koruna | CZK |
Kč |
0.4% | 0.4% |
26 |
UAE dirham | AED |
د.إ |
0.2% | 0.4% |
27 |
Turkish lira | TRY |
₺ |
1.1% | 0.4% |
28 |
Hungarian forint | HUF |
Ft |
0.4% | 0.3% |
29 |
Chilean peso | CLP |
CLP$ |
0.3% | 0.3% |
30 |
Saudi riyal | SAR |
﷼ |
0.2% | 0.2% |
31 |
Philippine peso | PHP |
₱ |
0.3% | 0.2% |
32 |
Malaysian ringgit | MYR |
RM |
0.1% | 0.2% |
33 |
Colombian peso | COP |
COL$ |
0.2% | 0.2% |
34 |
Russian ruble | RUB |
₽ |
1.1% | 0.2% |
35 |
Romanian leu | RON |
L |
0.1% | 0.1% |
… |
Other | 2.2% | 2.5% | ||
Total[note 1] | 200.0% | 200.0% |
|
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