A simple definition of numismatics is the the collection and study of coins, paper
money, tokens and medals, and indeed these are the most widely collected and studied
numismatic materials. Other items representing current or past financial assets or liabilities
are also included under the numismatic umbrella. These include other objects used as
money, as well as stock certificates, checks and notes of financial obligations.Coin
collecting is perhaps the most popular part of the hobby and issometimes used to refer to the
entire numismatic spectrum (e.g. the newsgroup rec.collecting.coins is a forum for all
numismatic topics)