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Numismatics

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Exonumia Credit cards, Medals, Tokens, Cheques Notaphily Banknotes Scripophily Stocks, Bonds v t e

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the exchange of goods. Early money used by people is referred to as "Odd and Curious", but the use of other goods in barter exchange is excluded, even where used as a circulating currency (e.g., cigarettes in prison). The Kyrgyz people used horses as the principal currency unit and gave small change in lambskins.^[1] The lambskins may be suitable for numismatic study, but the horse is not. Many objects have been used for centuries, such as cowry shells, precious metals and gems.

Today, most transactions take place by a form of payment with either inherent, standardized or credit value. Numismatic value may be used to refer to the value in excess of the monetary value conferred by law. This is also known as the "collector value." For example, a collector may be willing to pay more than $2.00 for a United States two-dollar bill, given their low circulation.

Economic and historical studies of money's use and development are an integral part of the numismatists' study of money's physical embodiment.

Etymology[link]

First attested in English 1829, the word numismatics comes from the adjective numismatic, meaning "of coins", borrowed 1792 from French numismatiques, which derives from Late Latin numismatis, genitive of numisma, a variant of nomisma meaning "coin",^[2] itself the latinisation of the Greek νόμισμα (nomisma), "current coin, custom",^[3] which derives from νομίζω (nomizō), "to hold or own as a custom or usage, to use customarily",^[4] in turn from νόμος (nomos), "usage, custom",^[5] ultimately from νέμω (nemō), "I dispense, divide, assign, keep, hold".^[6]

History of money[link]

Money itself must be a scarce good. Many items have been used as money, from naturally scarce precious metals and cowry shells through cigarettes to entirely artificial money, called fiat money, such as banknotes. Modern money (and most ancient money too) is essentially a token – an abstraction. Paper currency is perhaps the most common type of physical money today. However, goods such as gold or silver retain many of the essential properties of money.

History of numismatics[link]

A Roman denarius, a standardized silver coin.

Coin collecting may have existed in ancient times. Caesar Augustus gave "coins of every device, including old pieces of the kings and foreign money" as Saturnalia gifts.^[7]

Petrarch, who wrote in a letter that he was often approached by vinediggers with old coins asking him to buy or to identify the ruler, is credited as the first Renaissance collector. Petrarch presented a collection of Roman coins to Emperor Charles IV in 1355.

The first book on coins was De Asse et Partibus (1514) by Guillaume Budé.^[8] During the early Renaissance ancient coins were collected by European royalty and nobility. Collectors of coins were Pope Boniface VIII, Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis XIV of France, Ferdinand I, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg who started the Berlin coin cabinet and Henry IV of France to name a few. Numismatics is called the "Hobby of Kings", due to its most esteemed founders.

Professional societies organized in the 19th century. The Royal Numismatic Society was founded in 1836 and immediately began publishing the journal that became the Numismatic Chronicle. The American Numismatic Society was founded in 1858 and began publishing the American Journal of Numismatics in 1866.

In 1931 the British Academy launched the Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum publishing collections of Ancient Greek coinage. The first volume of Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles was published in 1958.

In the 20th century as well the coins were seen more as archaeological objects. After World War II in Germany a project, Fundmünzen der Antike (Coin finds of the Classical Period) was launched, to register every coin found within Germany. This idea found successors in many countries.

In the United States, the US mint established a coin Cabinet in 1838 when chief coiner Adam Eckfeldt donated his personal collection.^[9] William E. Du Bois’ Pledges of History... (1846) describes the cabinet.

C. Wyllys Betts' American colonial history illustrated by contemporary medals (1894) set the groundwork for the study of American historical medals.

Modern numismatics[link]

Modern numismatics is the study of the coins of the mid-17th to the 21st century, the period of machine struck coins. Their study serves more the need of collectors than historians and it is more often successfully pursued by amateur aficionados than by professional scholars. The focus of modern numismatics lies frequently in the research of production and use of money in historical contexts using mint or other records in order to determine the relative rarity of the coins they study. Varieties, mint-made errors, the results of progressive die wear, mintage figures and even the socio-political context of coin mintings are also matters of interest.

Subfields[link]

Exonumia is the study of coin-like objects such as token coins and medals, and other items used in place of legal currency or for commemoration. This includes elongated coins, encased coins, souvenir medallions, tags, badges, counterstamped coins, wooden nickels, credit cards, and other similar items. It is related to numismatics proper (concerned with coins which have been legal tender), and many coin collectors are also exonumists.

Notaphily is the study of paper money or banknotes. It is believed that people have been collecting paper money for as long as it has been in use. However, people only started collecting paper money systematically in Germany in the 1920s, particularly the Serienscheine (Series notes) Notgeld. The turning point occurred in the 1970s, when notaphily was established as a separate area by collectors. At the same time, some developed countries such as the USA, Germany and France began publishing their respective national catalogues of paper money, which represented major points of reference literature.

Scripophily is the study and collection of stocks and Bonds. It is an interesting area of collecting due to both the inherent beauty of some historical documents as well as the interesting historical context of each document. Some stock certificates are excellent examples of engraving. Occasionally, an old stock document will be found that still has value as a stock in a successor company.

Numismatists[link]

The term numismatist applies to collectors and coin dealers as well as scholars using coins as source or studying coins.

The first group chiefly derive pleasure from the simple ownership of monetary devices and studying these coins as private amateur scholars. In the classical field amateur collector studies have achieved quite remarkable progress in the field. Examples are Walter Breen, a well-known example of a noted numismatist who was not an avid collector, and King Farouk I of Egypt was an avid collector who had very little interest in numismatics. Harry Bass by comparison was a noted collector who was also a numismatist.

The second group are the coin dealers. Often called professional numismatists, they authenticate or grade coins for commercial purposes. The buying and selling of coin collections by numismatists who are professional dealers advances the study of money, and expert numismatists are consulted by historians, museum curators, and archaeologists.

The third category are scholar numismatists working in public collections, universities or as independent scholars acquiring knowledge about monetary devices, their systems, their economy and their historical context. An example would be Kenneth Jenkins. Coins are especially relevant as source in the pre-modern period.

List of publicly displayed numismatic collections[link]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

List of important numismatic scholars[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

See also[link]

Look up numismatics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Numismatics

Numismatics portal

References[link]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

David Akers

Akers with the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2009
No. 2     San Francisco 49ers
Placekicker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1974-12-09) December 9, 1974 (age 37)
Place of birth: Lexington, Kentucky
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College: Louisville
Undrafted in 1997
Debuted in 1998 for the Washington Redskins
Career history
Atlanta Falcons (1997)* Carolina Panthers (1997)* Washington Redskins (1998) Berlin Thunder (1999) Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2010) San Francisco 49ers (2011–present) *Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
6× Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011) 6× All-Pro (2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011) PFWA Golden Toe Award (2011) 4× NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (Oct. 2007, Nov. 2009, Nov. 2010, Dec. 2011) Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Field Goals Made 338 Field Goals Attempted 411 Field Goal % 82.2 Long Field Goal 57 Passing TD-INT 1-0 Passing Completions-Yrds 2 of 2, 25 yrds Stats at NFL.com

David Roy Akers ( /ˈeɪkərz/; born December 9, 1974) is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville.

Akers has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, Berlin Thunder, and Philadelphia Eagles. He has made the Pro Bowl six times in his career.

Early years[link]

Akers attended Tates Creek High School in Lexington, KY.

College career[link]

Akers attended college at the University of Louisville. During his four-year career, Akers kicked a school-record 36 field goals (with a long of 51 yards against Texas A&M University), and ranks second in Louisville's all-time scoring list, with 219 points.

Professional career[link]

Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers[link]

Between 1997 and 1998, as an undrafted free agent, Akers spent time trying to make the team with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.

Washington Redskins[link]

Akers was signed by the Washington Redskins in 1998 and played in one game for them, making two extra points but missing two field goal attempts of 50+ yards each. He was waived during the 1999 season.

Philadelphia Eagles[link]

Akers attempting a field goal in August 2009.

After Washington cut Akers, the Philadelphia Eagles claimed him off waivers and allocated him to NFL Europe. A solid season with the Berlin Thunder helped him earn the kicking job for the Eagles in 2000.

Akers proved to be one of the biggest special teams surprises in all of the NFL that season. He made 29 out of 33 field goals (an 87.9% success rate), and had a team-record 121 points. Akers earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in November 2000. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2001 as he went 26-for-31, making a team-record seventeen consecutive field goals during the season.

Akers' best statistical season was 2002 when he connected on 30 of 34 field goals (88.2%), scored a team-record 133 points, and made another Pro Bowl. He got fewer chances in 2003, but still made 24 of 29 field goals. He made the second-longest field goal in Eagles' history on September 14, 2003, a 57-yarder against the New England Patriots at the new Lincoln Financial Field (the only longer field goal in Eagles' history was Tony Franklin's 59-yard field goal in 1979.) In 2004, Akers continued his consistent kicking with an 84.4% field goal percentage, and he made his third Pro Bowl.

Injuries finally got to Akers in 2005 when he tore the hamstring in his non-kicking leg during the opening kickoff against the Oakland Raiders on September 25, 2005. Akers left the game, but returned in the second half with a heavily-taped leg to make two extra points and then kick the game-winning 28-yard field goal before collapsing in pain as his teammates mobbed him. He missed the next four games and finished the season 16 for 22.

In 2006, Akers was injury-free, but making 18 of 23 attempts (78.3%), his second worst season statistically.

On December 16, 2007, in a 10-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Akers set the Philadelphia Eagles franchise record for most points and on Thanksgiving in 2008, Akers passed 1,000 career points during a 48-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

On December 7, 2008, Akers kicked a 51-yard field goal at Giants Stadium, his longest of the season. In the same game he had two field goals blocked, one of which was returned for a touchdown. At the end of the 2008 regular season, Akers again set the team single-season scoring record with an NFC best 144 points. He connected on 33 of 40 field goals (82.5 pct), his best percentage since 2004.

On January 11, 2009, Akers kicked three field goals in three attempts during a divisional playoff win over the New York Giants. The second of these set an NFL record for consecutive field goals without a miss during the postseason, previously held by one-time Eagle Gary Anderson. Akers eventually ran his streak to a record 19 consecutive postseason field goal conversions; it was snapped the very next week against the Arizona Cardinals. Akers currently has thirty-five total postseason field goal conversions.

Akers was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl, his fourth. He was also named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.^[1] After the 2010 season, he was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers[link]

Akers was signed by the San Francisco 49ers to a $9 million, three-year contract on July 29, 2011. He kicked a 59-yard field goal just before halftime in a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on August 12, 2011. On September 18, 2011, he kicked a 55-yard field goal against the Dallas Cowboys, setting a record for the longest field goal made at Candlestick Park.

Akers broke the 49ers’ record for most points scored in a season in a 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday Night Football matchup on December 19, 2011.^[2] The record was formerly held by the 49ers’ Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice. In that same game against the Seahawks, Akers broke the all-time record for field goals in a season, surpassing Neil Rackers' 40 in 2005.

On January 1, 2012, Akers broke the NFL record for most points by a kicker against the St. Louis Rams; he finished with 166 points. In this game, he also extended the NFL record for most field goals made, finishing with 44, and threw for a touchdown on a fake field goal. In addition, Akers made his sixth Pro Bowl.

NFL Records[link]

• Consecutive postseason field goal conversions: 19
• Points in a single decade (2000–2009): 1,169
• Points in Pro Bowl History: 57
• Most points in a season, no touchdowns (2011): 166
• Most games 4+ field goals in a season (2011): 6
• Field Goals in an NFL Season: 44^[3]

Personal[link]

Akers and his wife, Erika, reside in Medford, New Jersey, with their sons Luke and Sawyer, and daughter Halley.

In 2001, the Akers family formed the David Akers Kicks for Kids Foundation, which has established programs with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to benefit sick children and their families. He also regularly trains in martial arts such as jiu-jitsu and Shaloin Kempo.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Current Stats
• Kicking Videos by David Akers
• Philadelphia Eagles bio

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David Akers