Bonistics was recognized as a separate branch of collecting in the 1970s, at which time national catalogs dedicated to paper money were published in a number of countries.
Since 1961, there has been an International Association of Paper Bank Note Collectors, International Bank Note Society (IBNS), which publishes a magazine, organizes banknote competitions, and holds lectures.
Banknotes and bonds, like coins, can be collected following different principles - starting from the classification of paper money, for example, the bonistics of money surrogates or the bonistics of never-existing (souvenir) money, or by choosing a theme, for example, railway, or with the image of animals.