Studying money
Coins have a history of thousands of years.
Because they are mass-produced and made of metal they survive in
large quantities. As a result they are often valuable sources
of information about the nations and rulers who have made and
used them.
Numismatists
The word 'numismatist' comes from the Greek
nomisma meaning 'coin'. A numismatist, therefore, is
somebody who studies coins and other types of money, usually from
an archaeological and historical standpoint. Coins are one of the
most important sources of information from which archaeologists and
historians can try to interpret the past. This is partly because,
unlike most other ancient artefacts, they are often stamped with
words and images. It is also because they are hard-wearing and
survive in large numbers.
Historians
Unlike most objects studied by historians,
coins were officially produced by the state rather than privately
made by individuals. This means the type of information they
can provide is often different from that provided by other
artefacts.
Their designs and inscriptions are an
unrivalled source of detailed information about political history,
religion and culture. Their role as the main form of money
over the past 2,000 years means they can tell us about economies
for which we have little or no written evidence.
Archaeologists
Coins are one of the most commonly found
archaeological objects. Millions of coins survive from past
societies dating back over 2,500 years. Being made of metal, coins
have tended to survive much better than less durable
objects. Also, because they are valuable, they have often been
concealed for safe keeping in hoards.
Most coins can be dated, which is crucial
to interpreting them. Their high survival rate and their
official inscriptions make them the most easily and most accurately
datable of all archaeological artefacts.
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