As do many numismatists, I have a fondness for history.  One of the most intriguing aspects of collecting coins, currency, and other numismatic objects is the history behind the items.  How did they come about?  What sort of political environment surrounded their design and issuance?  What was going on in the country of issue at the time?  Who might have held these items or carried them around in a pocket?  What about the person on the obverse: why are they honored on currency or medallic art?  Then there is the history of advancement in scientific and industrial techniques that permitted the objects to be made like they were; that dives down an entirely new rabbit hole. Many who like learning about history also like discovering their family's place in it.  Over the years I've developed a passion for learning about the Second World War, in part because of the four uncles of mine who were directly involved.  My mother used to tell me stories about life on the homefront of her own hometown.  All these stories have helped bring history to life and give it more meaning, by making it personal. It stands to reason that numismatists who like history might also enjoy genealogy for the same reasons; and an interest in both might have some crossover.  For instance, my interest in WW2 history led me to follow one uncle's story through his time in England awaiting front line duty on the European continent.  I wondered what kind of money he would have seen and used, which led me to acquire a few pieces of wartime coinage and paper money from England.  The discovery of an ancestral veteran of the French and Indian War led me to research Coinage in use in North America at the time.   Now anytime I find out a new story of a relative or ancestor's adventures, as a numismatist I'm curious of the currency they may have seen and used.