Numismatics (Lat. numisma, nomisma, a coin; from the Greek, derived from voµi eiv, to use according to law), is the scientific study of
currency and its
history in all its varied forms. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of
coins, the discipline also includes a much larger study of
payment media used to resolve
debts and the exchange of
goods. Lacking a structured
monetary system, people in the past as well as some today lived in a
barter society and used locally found items of inherent or implied value. Early money used by primitive people is referred to as "Odd and Curious", but the use of other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even where used as a circulating
currency (e.g., prison
cigarettes). 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 horse is not. Many objects have been used for centuries, such as
conch shells,
precious metals and
gems.
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