Numismatical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Concerned with the scholarly examination of coins and related financial artifacts, including their historical significance and valuation
2. Pertaining to the collection and study of currency and medals, emphasizing their artistic, historical, and economic aspects
3. Relating to the academic analysis of coins and money, which encompasses their historical context, intrinsic value, and artistic merit

Etymology: "Numismatical" is simply a longer variant of "numismatic," and the shorter form is the one that carries the history. It was borrowed from French "numismatique," which in turn comes from Latin "nomisma," meaning a coin, itself taken from Greek "nomisma," a coin or currency, derived from "nomos," law or custom. The Greek sense points to something officially sanctioned or in circulation, so a coin was, in a sense, a thing that had been given lawful standing. The "-al" ending attached to "numismatic" in "numismatical" is a common English addition that adds no new meaning. Both forms describe the study of coins, tokens, and medals, and the longer one appears alongside the shorter in dictionaries as an accepted alternative.