What Does numismatics Mean
The Greek word nomism came to Latin as numisma , which can be translated as "currency . " This term, in turn, allowed the creation of the French notion of numismatique .
That is the etymological route of numismatics , a concept that refers to the analysis and collecting of medals and coins , especially those that are of considerable antiquity. The expert in this area, as well as those linked to it, is known as a numismatist (or numismatist, in feminine).
Numismatics is based on the investigation of medals, coins, banknotes and other related elements . Both the collecting of these objects and the study of them go back many centuries.
If we consider it a proper science , then its origins are in the nineteenth century, although at that time it did not become such an important area but started very slowly. The testimony that it can give us about the economy and its evolution throughout history in the many peoples of the world is really invaluable, since it also covers other fields, such as religion, geography and politics.
In particular, we can say that the following sciences and areas of knowledge are those that are most related to numismatics:
* epigraphy : this science supports the story. It focuses on the study of inscriptions taking into account parameters such as their form, their materials, their structure and the support in which they are found, without neglecting their content and the function with which they were conceived;
* paleography : science that is dedicated to studying the writings of the past. Among the tasks it includes are its decipherment, the analysis of its evolution, the determination of its elaboration date and the search for all the graphic evidence of each one of them;
* Symbology : it is the study of symbols, both isolated and as a whole, if applicable. Given that its interpretation depends on different social and historical questions, it is an arduous job that requires great rigor before proposing a result;
* Iconology : it is a branch of the previous one, which studies both the images and the symbolic value assigned to them. In this work, several fields are also combined, from religion to laws, since art can represent human values, figures of living beings, nature, etcetera;
* art history : the evolution that art has gone through over time. Any activity that someone carries out with an aesthetic or communicative objective, through which emotions, ideas , or a particular vision of life are transmitted is considered art.
Although in most sources numismatics are not divided into categories, some do distinguish the following two:
* doctrinal : study certain generalities such as classification and nomenclature;
* historical and descriptive : it focuses on the way in which the currency was developed in the towns.
Thanks to numismatics, it is possible to know various aspects of the economy and commercial activity of peoples of the past. The products studied even provide data of interest on religion , geography , art , politics and other areas based on their designs and their content.
It is important to bear in mind that the exchange of commerce has been mutating throughout history. As a measure of change, disposable items were first used, such as teeth or animal skins and textile fibers. Then they began to use metals as a currency. Today's numismatics, in this framework, is dedicated to studying money in all its forms, including many times checks , bonds , etc.
Numismatics, in short, produces information on the historical journey and the characteristics of coins, bills and substitute goods. Your contributions are valuable to scientific researchers and collectors.