Argentophagia

Argentophagia (Disorder)

Argentophagia (/ɑɹdʒəntəfeɪdʒiə/ARE-jen-tuh-PHAY-gee-uh) is a psychological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable desire to eat or otherwise consume legal tender such as paper currency or coins. The currency can be either in circulation (Novargentophagia) or out of print or historical (Archargentophagia), and the condition can be either habitual or obsessive (Argentophagomania). The term originates from the Latin word argento (silver) and the Greek suffix phagia, (to consume).

Signs and Symptoms

Argentophagia is the consumption of currency or any object considered to have a purely monetary value. Consumption of otherwise valuable objects such as metals or minerals are not classified as Argentophagia but rather Pica.