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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 3173624, member: 56859&quot;]Interesting.&nbsp; The Numiswiki definition implies that &quot;ethnic&quot; is a noun when used in this numismatic sense.&nbsp;&nbsp; Modern dictionaries show only adjectival use.</p><p><br /></p><p>I texted my mom to see if she had an old dictionary.&nbsp; She did. Unfortunately her dictionary isn&#039;t very old-- a Webster&#039;s unabridged from 2002:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]816213[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>That&#039;s basically the same as I&#039;m finding in various online dictionaries.</p><p><br /></p><p>But wait-- old books are available to read online, maybe we can find some old dictionaries!</p><p><br /></p><p>As it happens, <a href="http://webstersdictionary1828.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://webstersdictionary1828.com/" rel="nofollow">Webster&#039;s 1828 dictionary has its own website</a>.&nbsp; I tried there. In addition to the expected adjectival form, there was a noun but not the numismatic meaning:</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="4"><b>Ethnic</b></font></p><p><b>ETH&#039;NIC</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>ETH&#039;NIC</b>AL, <i>adjective</i> [Latin ethnicus; Gr. from nation from the root of G. heide, heath, woods, whence heathen. <a href="http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/ethnic#" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/ethnic#" rel="nofollow">See Heathen</a>.]</p><p><br /></p><p>Heathen; pagan; pertaining to the gentiles or nations not converted to christianity; opposed to Jewish and Christian.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>ETH&#039;NIC</b>, <i>noun</i> A heathen; a pagan.</p><p><br /></p><p>This dictionary entry is from 1828...</p><p><br /></p><p>how old <b>are </b>you, Doug?&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p>...</p><p><br /></p><p>Perhaps the numismatic meaning of ethnic is hobby-specific?</p><p><br /></p><p>Edited:&nbsp; reading the 2002 dictionary entry again, it does allow for the numismatic use.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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