Exonumia
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The noun exonumia is from two classical Latin roots: exo, meaning "out-of", and nummus, meaning "coin", thus "out-of-coins". It covers coin-like objects such as tokens and medals, and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration, including elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, badges, counterstamped coins, wooden nickels, credit cards, as well as other similar items. It is related to numismatics, and many coin collectors are also exonumists.
"Exonumia" is the term usually applied to these objects in the United States. The equivalent British term is "paranumismatica".
Tokens such as bus tokens (transportation tokens), bar or pub tokens, and casino tokens or chips are some of the more common forms of exonumia.
The words exonumist and exonumia were invented in July, 1960 by Russell Rulau, a recognized authority and author on the subject, and accepted by Webster's dictionary in 1965.
Related, but normally considered to be a different branch of numismatics, is odd and curious money.
See also
- Token (numismatics)
- Medal
- Pub token (Bar tokens, Good-For tokens)
- Casino token (Casino chips)
- Credit card
- List of prizes, medals, and awards
- Challenge coin
External links
- Exonumia (http://www.exonumia.com)
- Exonumia: Definitions (http://www.exonumia.com/exonumia.htm)
- Exonumia: Links (http://www.exonumia.com/links.htm)
- Online Token Database (http://www.exonumist.com)