Meanings of Money

Seasoned coin collectors forget (or might not be aware) that other definitions or distinctions for the word “coin” exist. According to some explanations, the word originally came from the Latin noun cuneus, or corner. When “cuneus” was first used in English, it referred to a wedge. Somehow, it related to anything stamped (like a metal fitting or die), including a coin or piece of money. In my estimation, this theory seems to stray from reality. Here, I will try to explain the history of the word “coin” as clearly as I can. I will let the reader decide which version is most accurate.

Coin or Quoin?

In French the word “coin” indicates a corner, angle, or nook. The Old English word that has variously been spelled coyne, coign, coine, coigne, or quoin today relates to the keystones and cornerstones of buildings. My immediate thoughts about the word “quoin” are specific to the printing industry. Quoin often refers to a frequently used wedge-shaped item that secures printer’s type into a metal frame called a chase. In my early years as a journeyman printer, it was one of my jobs to see that the completed chase was perfectly adjusted and ready for use on the printing press. Several quoins were often used to affix the type securely in the chase so that none of the pieces would fall out during the printing process.    

The Old English word that has variously been spelled coyne, coign, coine, coigne, or quoin today relates to the keystones and cornerstones of buildings.

Moneta

The explanation of how many numismatic-related words came to refer to coins as money or coinage dies is quite a different story. The word “money”  most likely relates to the Roman goddess Juno Moneta, who was the protector of funds. Coins were minted in her temple for many years. Roman denarii that T. Carisius minted in 46 B.C. depict an image of Juno Moneta on the obverse and show contemporary coinage dies and coinage implements on the reverse. 

The temple dedicated to Juno Moneta, “the advisor,” was erected on the Capitoline Hill in 344 B.C., and the manufacture of coinage at that spot led to the adoption of Juno’s epithet that referred to “mints” and “money.” That temple served both religious and practical purposes. By housing the first Roman mint, it linked divine protection with money production. That connection between the goddess and currency production likely contributed to the etymological roots of the English word money, monnaie in French, moneda in Spanish, and similar terms in other languages. The Romanian word for money, moned, reflects both its Latin origins and Romania’s linguistic heritage. 

All of these terms give collectors a world of choices to use as names for their favorite specialties.