numismatist

American  

[noo-miz-muh-tist, -mis-, nyoo-] / nuˈmɪz mə tɪst, -ˈmɪs-, nyu- /

noun

1. a specialist in numismatics.

2. a person who collects numismatic items, especially coins.

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numismatist British  

/ njuːˈmɪzmətɪst, njuːˌmɪzməˈtɒlədʒɪst /

noun

1. a person who studies or collects coins, medals, etc

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Etymology

Origin of numismatist

1790–1800; < Latin numismat- (stem of numisma ) coin + -ist

Explanation

The person who looks closely at every penny might not be cheap — he might be a numismatist, a coin collector, looking for old or rare coins that somehow got into the mix. This word literally means "someone who studies coins." These aren't the coins you have in your pocket right now. Instead, a numismatist studies and collects coins from other places and time periods. The word comes from the Latin word numisma, meaning "coin, currency." The word numismatist was coined — no pun intended! — in 1799.

Example Sentences

Numismatist Adrian Marsden said "a penny was a lot of money then", with a labourer earning between one and two pennies a day.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2023

Numismatist Adrian Marsden said the pagan Vikings went from killing Edmund to "striking coins in his name" to wear as converts within two generations.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2022

Numismatist Adrian Marsden said the hoard is "really quite exceptional" and more coins might be unearthed.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2022

Numismatist Adrian Marsden, from the Norfolk Historic Environment Service, said: "All the coins were minted on the continent, as we didn't have gold coins of our own then."

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2021

Here is the drawing I took of the Museum Wulfric fourteen years ago, for the third volume of my 'Northumbrian Numismatist.'

From The Beckoning Hand and Other Stories by Allen, Grant