What does recoinage mean?
Recoinage is the making of coins again, especially when an existing currency is systematically replaced or redesigned. The term can denote the physical process of striking new coins, the resulting new coin issue, or a broader monetary reform involving changes to a currency’s metal, denominations, or appearance. Recoinage is especially common in historical and numismatic writing, where it describes events such as the replacement of worn silver coinage or the introduction of a new national series. In contemporary usage, it is more specialized and formal than simply saying that a government is making new coins. The word is useful because it identifies more than ordinary minting: it specifically implies renewal of an existing monetary system, often on a large and deliberate scale.
nounThe act of minting coins again, especially as part of a monetary reform or the replacement of an existing issue. It can also refer to the new coins or monetary system produced by such a process.
- The act of minting coins again or replacing an existing coinage.
- A new or redesigned monetary system composed of coins.
- A monetary reform in which the denominations, metals, or designs of circulating coins are changed.
"The government introduced a complete recoinage, replacing every circulating coin with a new design."
"The costly silver recoinage was carried out gradually over several years."
"Historians study the recoinage to understand how changes in metal and design affected public trust."
The plural is used when referring to separate instances of replacing or redesigning a currency.
"The nineteenth-century recoinages changed the appearance of coins throughout the empire."
A recoinage can transform an entire national currency, changing not only the coins in circulation but also the physical face of everyday money.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recoinage come from?
Recoinage was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with coinage, a word based on the verb coin. The verb coin comes through Old French from Latin cuneus, originally a wedge and then a die for striking money; the same Latin root also underlies words such as cuneate. The prefixed form thus literally refers to the minting of money again and came to be associated particularly with the systematic replacement of older coin issues.
How recoinage is actually used
Recoinage is relatively uncommon and is most often used in historical, economic, or numismatic contexts. It is more formal than the general expression “making new coins” and may imply a systematic replacement of an existing currency.
Easily confused with recoinage
Coining can mean the general practice or act of making coins, whereas recoinage specifically means making or issuing coins again after an existing issue.