When Vincent Maloney started collecting coins in the 1950s, many of the older coins prized by collectors today were still floating around in use as money.

“There were still, in circulation, Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, Standing Liberty quarters, and what they called Walking Liberty (half dollars),” Maloney said, in a recent interview at his Brick home. “You could get them in change.”

A retired captain in the Union City Fire Department, Maloney, 74, has built a large and eclectic collection over the years. He was recently recognized by the Ocean County Coin Club, of which he is a member, as the club’s 2007 Numismatist of the Year.

The term “numismatics” refers to the study of money. The word “numismatist” generally connotes a person who takes an interest in the history and identification of coins and other money, not simply collecting for collecting’s sake, according to Ken Hallenbeck, acting executive director of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based American Numismatic Association. Read Full Story