The Numismatics Portal
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...)
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The coins of the Swiss franc are the official coins used in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The name of the subunit is centime in French and internationally, Rappen in German, centesimo in Italian, and rap in Romansh. There are coins in denominations of 5 centimes, 10 centimes, 20 centimes, 1⁄2 franc (50 centimes), 1 franc, 2 francs, and 5 francs.
All coins have the legend of either HELVETIA or CONFŒDERATIO HELVETICA, the Latin name of the Swiss Confederation, along with the year number. The 5, 10, and 20 centimes coins show a head of Liberty in profile, designed by Karl Schwenzer (1879). The 1⁄2, 1, and 2 francs coins show a standing figure of the national personification Helvetia, designed by Albert Walch (1860). The 5 francs coin on the obverse shows a portrait of an "alpine herdsman" (Alphirte), designed by Paul Burkhard (1922), and on the reverse the federal coat of arms;
additionally it has the inscription DOMINUS PROVIDEBIT embossed on the edge. (Full article...)Selected image
Did you know...
- ...that with its two-dollar coin (reverse pictured), Newfoundland was the only British colony to issue circulating gold coinage?
- ...that Mount Burgess is nicknamed the Ten Dollar Mountain because it was featured on Canadian currency?
- ...that the American Buffalo gold bullion coin was the first .9999 fine 24-carat gold coin released by the United States Mint?
- ...that the Alabama centennial half dollar was the first commemorative coin minted with the image of a living individual?
- ...that Aksumite currency was the only native coinage to be issued in Africa without direct influence by an outside culture like Roman, Greek, etc...?
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The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint in 2006. The coin follows the design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from the American Bison on the reverse side of the design. This was the first time the United States Government minted pure (.9999) 24-karat gold coins for the public. The coin contains one-troy ounce (31.1g) of pure gold and has a legal tender (face) value of US$50. Due to a combination of the coin's popularity and the increase in the price of gold, the coin's value has increased considerably. The initial 2006 U.S. Mint price of the proof coin was $800. In 2007 the price was $899.95, $1,410 in 2009, and $2,010 in 2011.
In addition to requiring a presidential dollar coin series to begin in 2007 and redesigning the cent in 2009, the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 mandated the production of a one-ounce 24-karat gold bullion coin with a face value of $50 and a mintage limit of up to 300,000 coins. (Full article...)Selected banknote image -
General images -
- A Swiss ten-cent coin from 1879, similar to the oldest coins still in official use today (from Coin)
- The Piloncitos are tiny engraved gold coins found in the Philippines, along with barter rings, which are gold ring-like ingots. These barter rings are bigger than softballs in size and are made of pure gold from the Archaic period (c. 10th to 16th century). (from Coin)
- Posthumous Alexander the Great tetradrachm from Temnos, Aeolis. Dated 188–170 BC. Obverse: Alexander the Great as Herakles facing right wearing the nemean lionskin. Reverse: Zeus seated on throne to the left holding eagle in right hand and scepter in left; in left field PA monogram and angular sigma above grape vine arching over oinochoe; ALEXANDROU vertical in right field. Reference: Price 1678. (from Coin)
- Currencies exchange logo (from Currency)
- Holographic coin from Liberia features the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) (from Coin)
- Earliest banknote from China during the Song Dynasty which is known as "Jiaozi" (from History of money)
- A 5 euro note so badly damaged it has been torn in half. The note has later been repaired with tape. (from Banknote)
- Coins can be stacked. (from Coin)
- A siglos found in the Kabul valley, 5th century BC. Coins of this type were also found in the Bhir Mound hoard. (from Coin)
- Gandharan "bent-bar" punch-marked coin minted under Achaemenid administration, of the type found in large quantities in the Chaman Hazouri and the Bhir Mound hoards. (from Coin)
- Marco Polo described the use of early banknotes in China to Medieval Europe in his book, The Travels of Marco Polo. (from Banknote)
- Chinese round coins, Eastern Zhou dynasty – Warring States Period, c. 300–220 BC. Four Hua (四化, 30mm, 6.94 g). Legend Yi Si Hua ([City of] Yi Four Hua). (from Coin)
- When Brazil changed currencies in 1989, the 1000, 5000, and 10,000 cruzados banknotes were overstamped and issued as 1, 5, and 10 cruzados novos banknotes for several months before cruzado novo banknotes were printed and issued. Banknotes can be overstamped with new denominations, typically when a country converts to a new currency at an even, fixed exchange rate (in this case, 1000:1). (from Banknote)
- The sealing of the Bank of England Charter (1694). The bank began the first permanent issue of banknotes a year later. (from Banknote)
- Five million mark coin (Weimar Republic, 1923). Despite its high denomination, this coin's monetary value dropped to a tiny fraction of a US cent by the end of 1923, substantially less than the value of its metallic content. (from Coin)
- Athenian coin (c. 500/490–485 BC) discovered in the Shaikhan Dehri hoard in Pushkalavati, Ancient India. This coin is the earliest known example of its type to be found so far east. (from Coin)
- The taka was widely used across South Asia during the sultanate period. (from History of money)
- Song dynasty Jiaozi, the world's earliest paper money (from Currency)
- An oxhide ingot from Crete. Late Bronze Age metal ingots were given standard shapes, such as the shape of an "ox-hide", suggesting that they represented standardized values. (from Coin)
- Name of currency units by country, in Portuguese (from Currency)
- Greek drachm of Aegina. Obverse: Land turtle. Reverse: ΑΙΓ(INA) and dolphin (from History of money)
- A 2000 Romanian lei polymer banknote (from Banknote)
- Spade money from the Zhou Dynasty, c. 650–400 BC (from History of money)
- Song dynasty Jiaozi, the world's earliest paper money. (from Banknote)
- Cowry shells being used as money by an Arab trader (from Currency)
- 1884 United States trade dollar (from Coin)
- Fifty-five-dollar bill in Continental currency; leaf design by Benjamin Franklin, 1779 (from Banknote)
- Fed Shreds as souvenir from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (from Banknote)
- A Yuan dynasty printing plate and banknote with Chinese words. (from Banknote)
- Hoard of mostly Mauryan Empire coins, 3rd century BC. (from Coin)
- Obverse and reverse of an old American $100 note (1928) (from Banknote)
- Alexander the Great Tetradrachm from the Temnos Mint, c. 188–170 BC (from Coin)
- Punch-marked coin minted in the Kabul Valley under Achaemenid administration, c. 500–380 BC, or c. 350 BC. (from Coin)
- Many currencies, such as the Indonesian rupiah, vary the sizes of their banknotes by denomination. This is done so that they may be told apart through touch alone. (from Banknote)
- Bimetallic Egyptian one pound coin featuring King Tutankhamen (from Coin)
- Banknotes with a face value of ten in the United States dollar, pound sterling as issued by the Bank of England and euro. (from Banknote)
- Silver coin of the Maurya Empire, known as rūpyarūpa, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BC (from History of money)
- The French East India Company issued rupees in the name of Muhammad Shah (1719–1748) for Northern India trade. This was cast in Pondicherry. (from History of money)
- Shredded and briquetted US dollar notes from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (approx. 1000 pieces, 1 kg) (from Banknote)
- 100 USD banknote (from History of money)
- A 7th century one-third stater coin from Lydia, shown larger (from History of money)
- Shredded and briquetted euro banknotes from the Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany (approx. 1 kg) (from Banknote)
- Shredded and briquetted US dollar notes from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (approx. 1000 pieces, 1 kg) (from Banknote)
- The world's oldest coin, created in the ancient Kingdom of Lydia (from Currency)
- An American Silver Eagle minted in 2019 (left), an example of a Bullion coin. Its obverse design is based on the older, formerly circulating silver Walking Liberty half dollar (right). (from Coin)
- A $5 note issued by Citizens Bank of Louisiana in the 1850s. (from Banknote)
- Collage for banknote design with annotations and additions to show proposed changes (figure rather higher so as to allow room for the No.), Bank of Manchester, UK, 1833. On display at the British Museum in London (from Banknote)
- French 1992 twenty Franc Tri-Metallic coin (from Coin)
- The first paper money in Europe, issued by the Stockholms Banco in 1666. (from Banknote)
- Silver stater of Aegina, 550–530 BC. Obv. Sea turtle with large pellets down centre. Rev. incuse square punch with eight sections. (from Coin)
- The Achaemenid Empire Satraps and Dynasts in Asia Minor developed the usage of portraiture from c. 420 BC. Portrait of the Satrap of Lydia, Tissaphernes (c. 445–395 BC). (from Coin)
![Image 14Chinese round coins, Eastern Zhou dynasty – Warring States Period, c. 300–220 BC. Four Hua (四化, 30mm, 6.94 g). Legend Yi Si Hua ([City of] Yi Four Hua). (from Coin)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/CHINA%2C_Eastern_Zhou_dynasty_-_Warring_States_Period._State_of_Q%C3%AD._City_of_Yi._Circa_300-220_BC.jpg/240px-CHINA%2C_Eastern_Zhou_dynasty_-_Warring_States_Period._State_of_Q%C3%AD._City_of_Yi._Circa_300-220_BC.jpg)
Numismatic terminology
- Bullion – Precious metals (platinum, gold and silver) in the form of bars, ingots or plate.
- Error – Usually a mis-made coin not intended for circulation, but can also refer to an engraving or die-cutting error not discovered until the coins are released to circulation. This may result is two or more varieties of the coin in the same year.
- Exonumia – The study of coin-like objects such as token coins and medals, and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration.
- Fineness – Purity of precious metal content expressed in terms of one thousand parts. 90% is expressed as .900 fine.
- Notaphily – The study of paper money or banknotes.
- Scripophily – The study and collection of stocks and Bonds.
WikiProjects
Numismatic topics
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
Subcategories
Most traded currencies
| Rank | Currency | ISO 4217 code |
Symbol or abbreviation |
Proportion of daily volume | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2019 | 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 | 4.9% | 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 | 0.2% | 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% |
| 36 | Peruvian sol | PEN | S/ | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 37 | Bahraini dinar | BHD | .د.ب | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 38 | Bulgarian lev | BGN | BGN | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 39 | Argentine peso | ARS | ARG$ | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| … | Other | 1.8% | 2.3% | ||
| Total[note 1] | 200.0% | 200.0% | |||
Web resources
- NumisWiki
- International Association of Professional Numismatists
- American Numismatic Association
- American Numismatic Society
- British Numismatic Association
- American Vecturist Association
- Challenge Coin Association
- Numismatic Museum of Athens, Greece
- The Perth Mint Australia
- Central Mint of China
- Royal Mint
- The French Mint
- United States Mint
- Bank of Russia
- Royal Canadian Mint
- Exact Change numismatic software
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Sources
- ^ The total sum is 200% because each currency trade always involves a currency pair; one currency is sold (e.g. US$) and another bought (e.g. €). Therefore each trade is counted twice, once under the currency sold ($) and once under the currency bought (€). The percentages above are the percent of trades involving that currency regardless of whether it is bought or sold, e.g. the US dollar is bought or sold in 88% of all trades, whereas the euro is bought or sold in 31% of them.
- ^ "Triennial Central Bank Survey Foreign exchange turnover in April 2022" (PDF). Bank for International Settlements. 27 October 2022. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
