Numismatics

Study of coins, embracing the metallic money of all countries from its beginning, ab. 700 B.C. The chief departments are (1) Greek, including over 1,000 cities and 300 kings or tyrants, besides the i ues of Phœnicia, Persia, and other parts of the world before or beyond the Roman conquests; (2) Roman Republic and Empire; (3) Mediæval; (4) Modern. Medals, tokens, and jelons are also usually embraced. For the past 300 years private and public collections have existed in every civilized land, and books have been pub. on every portion of the subject. The study is important as contributing to our knowledge of history, and incidentally to that of art.