Defining “money” as portable, static object which has durable symbolic value in facilitating legal transactions gives a precise way to define numismatics as the study of things which function as or look like money. Using those terms I've prepared a tree showing what kind of items are numismatic and what kind are not.
Beyond a simple yes/no, numismatic items split (not always neatly) into three classes.
a.) semi-numismatic items which are of value almost solely in studying history or economics. Some items may be so rare that they are unknown outside museums (Rarity Index 100). Others may not be numismatically collectable because a collection of them could not be organized on numismatic lines. (Checks signed by Abraham Lincoln, for instance.)
b.) fully-numismatic items, which have value both in research and in their own right.
c.) items which are simple collectables which resemble coins or banknotes.
The tree reflects those divisions by color-coding branch tips.
The tree is an Excel spreadsheet, which I can convert either to PDF or JPEG. I'm new to Numista, but I'll post the chart as soon as I can figure out how.
