What is Exonumia?

Exonumia is numeric items other than coins and paper. People might answer this question by saying it is the collection of coins and medals. They are right but partially. Numismatics is way more than that. It includes the study of those too. A normal coin collector might have many coins too, but what separates a coin collector and a numismatist is that a numismatist has in-depth knowledge of the coins he has (year of mint, place of mint, the composition of the materials, the weight of the coin, what technology was used to mint and of course the historical background behind that coin) it might take you a couple of months to become a coin collector but it will take you years to become a numismatist. But it is worth being one. If you're planning to start, I welcome you to this amazing world of numismatics.

• What type of coin is this?

This is not a coin, it is just a token or souvenir made for tourists. It may be a fun thing for you to keep, but it has little value at all. Many places like amusement parks, museums, and vendors at celebrations have these types of items. Sometimes, they may be made of precious metal (this one is not) such as silver, and these are worth at least the value of the metal.

Many people collect these for fun, and sometimes collect them with themes, like "ballparks," "Disneyland," "state capitals," "religious medals," or some other subject. This could be a start of a collection based on "Elvis Presley" or "American cities." It is doubtful that this will ever have any monetary value.

• Investment in numismatics?

Numismatics is probably the worst investment option imaginable. I got started in the early 1970s and can tell you coins are a terrible store of value aside from gold/silver coinage in top grades and most sought-after series. People seem to think coins are an appreciating asset and they are NOT! They are at best a fluctuating asset and an illiquid one at that. When I price coins I collected in the early 1970s, adjust for inflation, and assess current value I haven't come out much ahead. But then again I collect for their beauty and my pleasure, not to make money. Most of the price increases came from the increased demand in the 1980s and had I sold then and invested in the S&P I'd be far better off. I have coins that are worth the same amount as they were back then, but due to inflation I've lost money simply holding them. My advice is to invest your money elsewhere. Even professionals don't make that much in the field. That's why I quit trading years ago but will make the odd purchase once in a while.263 views View 6 upvotes 6 2 2 comments from Michael Cheng and more Sponsored by Olymp Trade What is online trading? Sharpen your skills and try new trading strategies. Easy to start!

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