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Primary History of Coins

Before coins were created and used as currency, bartering was the main form of exchange. People exchanged food, shells, animals, and other valuable trinkets since the dawn of civilization. Metal coins were first created in China in 1,000 B.C. Gradually, other civilizations caught on and coinage replaced bartering. Coins have been used as symbols of powerful empires, as positive propaganda for rulers, and as the forerunner to paper currency.

Ancient Civilizations
- After China began developing their coins in 1,000 B.C., the idea of standardized currency spread westward over the Asian continent. Yet unlike China, which used base metals, areas in modern-day Turkey used lumps of silver to cast their coins. Pieces of bronze, silver, and gold were welded and shaped by hand in the Persian and Macedonian empires by 500 B.C.
Ancient Greece
- The likenesses of Greek gods were often printed on their coins.
  
  In the 7th century B.C., the region of Ionia in Greece started to cast money from a natural combination of gold and silver found in the area, called electrum. Each coin was uniform in its weight, had a print of a city or ruler on one side, and was approved by the government. As Alexander the Great conquered neighboring nations and tribes, he introduced the idea of government money. Many of these people later printed portraits of their rulers on their currency. While many of these rulers' names are lost, their portraits remain on this ancient currency.
Roman Empire
- Coins in Rome were more often used as propaganda tools. They exalted the good deeds of the emperor and the royal family would often be imprinted. A depiction of the Coliseum was even printed on a coin. Coins also served as mini-newspapers by recording wars and alliances that most people would not hear about until they saw the coin.
Modern History
- American coin.
  
  Until around the year 1500 A.D., coins in Europe were mainly hand-pressed and made by an individual. Italians created machines and screw presses that punched out coins and impressed designs on them. Anyone in Europe who could afford to make their own coins did so. It was not uncommon for the currency to differ between duchies and kingdoms. In Mexico City, the Spanish conquistadors were the first to print coins in the American continents in 1535. The United States mint was established after the Revolutionary War in 1792.
Collecting
- Many coin collectors pick one type of coin that interests them the most before searching; some collect by date or time period. You might collect only Roman coins or American coins. It is best to study and research your favorite type of coins before starting your collection.

Coin Collecting