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A.Word.A.Day--scripophily

scripophily (skri-POF-uh-lee) noun

The hobby of collecting historic stock and bond certificates. Also, such a collection.

[From scrip, short for subscription + -phily (love).]

"A sought-after category right now is Confederate bonds, many of which were sold in Britain. Keith Hollender, a London-based scripophily specialist with Herzog Hollender Phillips & Co., said British clothing makers purchased them because they needed the American South's cotton."
Judith Rehak; Collectors Seek Out Old ­- and Scandalous ­- Paper; International Herald Tribune (France); Jul 8, 2000.

"Check the library for reference books on collecting stocks and bonds, a hobby known as scripophily, or get an appraisal from antiques dealers."
Sheryl Harris; Checking for Any Value in Old Stock Certificate; The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio; Jan 2, 2002.

We all have collected stamps or something else as children. There are collectors for almost everything under the sun as a quick peek at eBay would show. And there are words for these hobbies of collecting and studying things: coins (numismatics), autographs (philography), matchbox covers (phillumeny), you name it.

This week we'll collect some of the words to describe these pursuits. Do you have a hobby of collecting something unusual?

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