Numismatics and coins

Numismatics and coins - this is a whole science. At the heart of the word lies the Greek word "nomos", meaning legal means of payment, or the derivative of the word "nomism" - a coin. Although the term itself began to be used in the Middle Ages, the precise time of the birth of the science of numismatics - science at the junction of archeology and history - can not be precisely established. And all because this fascination was often mixed with the ordinary accumulation of different material, peculiar to people in all ages. On the other hand, numismatics or coin collecting were sometimes perceived as simply inadequate human behavior. For example, the Prussian historian Shimon Grunau, in the fascination of Chelm's Bishop Stefan von Heideburg, who lived at the end of the 15th century and collected rare and foreign coins, saw only a manifestation of stupidity and senile senility.

Numismatics and coins - this is a whole science

Numismatics as a collection (from the Latin word "collecti" - collecting) began a long time ago. The first mention of this can be found in the works of ancient Roman historians and writers. And this is understandable - the Romans have always treated the coin as a subject of art and the expression of the law. Such an idea they spread around the world. Roman writer and historian of the end of the first century Guy Suetonius Tranquille in his book about the life of the twelve Caesars tells about Octavian Augusta the following: "In Saturnalia and other holidays, when he came to hunting, he gave out either gifts, like clothes, gold and silver, or coins of all kinds of coins, including ancient royal and foreign...". Ovid in the poem "Fasts" tells that in January the Romans gave gifts in the form of copper coins depicting two-faced Janus. If we consider that such coins were minted in Rome around 240-225 BC, and Ovid lived 43 BC - 18 AD, then we see that they gave "ancient" coins. Hence, someone stored them, that is, they were collectors-numismatists. The custom of giving coins is also reported by the Roman poet Mark Valerius Martial (1st century AD) and the historian Herodian (3rd century AD). A very interesting place can be read in the book of the historian Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) "Natural History". It describes how some Romans bought counterfeit denarii, and for one fake they gave several real ones. How it looks like modern collectors-numismatists! Finally, ancient authors note that the coin was both a historical source and an expression of the law. In the collection of biographies of the emperors, a dispute was described about the nature of power of the firm that seized Egypt during the time of the Emperor Aurelian (270-275 AD). As an important proof of the legitimacy of the firm's power, coins were used, on which he called himself Augustus. Let us also recall the evangelical parable, where the payment of taxes is mentioned and a brief description of the coin appears. The main conclusion is "God is God, and Caesar is Caesar's".

Considering what has been said, we will see that the numismatics had a very solid foundation both in tradition and at the level of law. The law spread and the treasures - another area of interest of numismatics. Legislation on treasures has changed for centuries - then the treasure belonged to the owner of the land, it became the property of the state. Finally, the legal aspects of the finding of the treasure were formulated in Byzantium in 533 AD. by the decree of the Emperor Justinian (by the way, this law with minor changes is still valid today in most countries).

The Middle Ages, despite the dominance of subsistence economy, did not destroy the interest in numismatics - coins of antiquity are found among feudal denarii. In addition, the influence of Rome and Byzantium was on the images on these denarii. For example, the Augustus coins of Emperor Frederick II (1212-1250), minted by him as King of Sicily, arose after acquaintance with the coins of the Roman Empire. But there were cases of an opposite reaction to the ancient coins that did not contribute to the approval of numismatics. In the Bavarian town of Kempten, where once the late Roman settlement of Cambodunum was located, during the abbot of Conrad von Galden (854-861) in an old, well-buried well, a treasure was found - an iron box with precious stones and Roman coins. The abbot ordered immediately to refinish the coins, since he considered the find to be the machinations of the devil.

The relationship to numismatics and ancient coins (as, in principle, and the whole of the ancient) has changed dramatically in the Renaissance. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Veronical humanist Giovanni da Matochis wrote a book on the history of the Roman Empire, illustrated with images of antique coins with portraits of Roman emperors. Most researchers begin the history of modern collecting and numismatics from the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374). From his letters it is clear that he was buying antique coins, which he brought. Also in the letters he touches the coins of Vespasian and Faustina for clarifying a number of historical issues, and in 1354 Petrarch gives the Emperor Charles the Fourth a small collection of Roman coins with portraits of the emperors.

With interest in numismatics, trade in coins is also developing, people appear who are engaged in numismatics professionally. At the end of the 16th and 17th centuries, coin auctions began to take place, and from the 19th century they have become universal and regular. There are also new areas of interest in numismatics - the study of medal art and the production of collector fakes.

Today, numismatics is armed with the latest achievements in physical, chemical science and technology. Coins are searched, explored, restored, and combined. Catalogs of coins can be easily found on the Internet, and all the ambiguities about the found coin can be discussed in appropriate forums or other pages of the World Wide Web.

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