what is Exonumia?
Exonumia are numismatic items (such as tokens, medals, or scrip) other than coins and paper money. This includes Good For tokens, badges, counterstamped coins, elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, wooden nickels and other similar items. It is related to numismatics (concerned with coins which have been legal tender), and many coin collectors are also exonumists.Besides the above strict definition, others extend it to include non-coins which may or may not be legal tenders such as cheques, credit cards and similar paper. These can also be considered notaphily or scripophily.
Etymology
The noun exonumia is derived from two classical roots: exo, meaning "out-of" in Greek, and nummus, meaning "coin" in Latin; thus, "out[side]-of-[the category]coins". Usually, the term "exonumia" is applied to these objects in the United States, while the equivalent British term is paranumismatica.The words exonumist and exonumia were coined in July 1960 by Russell Rulau, a recognized authority and author on the subject, and accepted by Webster's dictionary in 1965.
Forms of Exonumia: Tokens and Medals
Chronologically, in the United States many Exonumia items were used as currency when actual money was not easily available in the economy. A notable exception to this definition are Medals, which were generally not used as currency or exchange. See the 'for clarification' section below for distinctions between various branches of exonumia. Tokens were used both to advertise and to facilitate commerce.
Token authority Russell Rulau offers a broad definition for exonumia, and lines between categories can be fuzzy. For example, an advertising token may also be considered a medal. Good For tokens may also advertise. Counterstamped coins have been called “little billboards.” Strictly, exonumia is anything not a governmental issue coin. This could almost mean anything coin-like.
The English term "Para-numismatica", or alongside currency, appears more limiting, hinting that tokens must have some sort of “value” or monetary usage. One definition of Para-numismatica is anything coin-like but not a coin. In America this is not the accepted usage. Rulau's 1040 page tome, UNITED STATES TOKENS: 1700-1900 includes many tokens without any monetary value depicted on the token. While he included many items, some types of exonumia were not included just so the book would not get any bigger.
The following groupings of categories are continually expanding. One way of parsing tokens is into these three general categories:
Has a ‘value,’ facilitating commerce, such as Good For Something.
Commemoration, remembrance, dedication, or the like, for some person, place, idea or event.
Of a personal nature.
Typically catalogs of tokens are organized by location, time period and/or type of item. Historically the need for tokens grew out of the need for currency. In America some tokens legally circulated alongside or instead of currency up until recently. Hard Times Tokens and Civil War Tokens each were the size of the contemporary cent. Afterwards, value based items, such as Good For (amount of money), Good For one quart of Milk, Good For one beer, Good For one ride… and others were specifically linked to commerce of the store or place of issue.
For clarity, Exonumia are actual numismatic items, (other than government coins or paper money) which can be studied or collected.
Numismatic = Coins, Paper Money, Exonumia, (Numismatist)
Exonumia = Tokens, Medals, Badges, Ribbons, Etc. (Exonumist)
Notaphily = Paper Money, (Notaphile/Notaphiliac).
Scripophily = Stock certificates, (Scripophilist, Scripophilac)
Medals have a clear distinction from tokens in that there is no monetary value on the item, nor any intent to be used as money. (Medalists)
Exonumists are attentive to not only the history behind the items but the shapes, and what types of items they are.
