How Coins Have Been Made Throughout History
Throughout history, coins have been used to exchange goods and services. They have also become popular collectibles. To find out more about Coin Dealers UK, visit gmcoins.co.uk/
Today, mints around the world produce millions of gold and silver coins. But how did coins begin?
They started to appear 2,500 years ago. They were not perfectly round, and did not display a denomination. In fact, they were not even stamped with the year or the gods. In the ancient world, coins were created by striking metal between two dies. The coins were then flattened and engraved. In the later years, engravings were created in dies, and a second die was used to engrave images on both sides of the coin.
The oldest coins in history were minted by the Lydians, who were located in present day Turkey. These coins were made of a naturally-occurring alloy of gold and silver called electrum. They were shaped like squashed kidney beans and were difficult to stack. They also came in different sizes, which were not perfectly circular. Some had a stamped design on one side and indents on the other. The coin was sometimes called a “Lydia Lion” and is often credited as the oldest coin in history.
The Lydian coins were minted by the state and were used for trade transactions. The coins had the lion symbol stamped on the outside and the royal lion symbol on the inside. Some of the coins had a legend as well. One coin referred to king Alyattes of Lydia. Another coin mentioned a conqueror named Samudragupta.
The coin was also made by Samos, Miletus, and Aegina. These cities minted coins for Egyptians and Greeks. Some of these coins had gold rings on the reverse side, which served as a monetary currency. The coins were also shaped to resemble knives and farming implements.
After the Persians conquered the Lydians in 546 BCE, the coins started to change. The coins became more circular, and the reverse side began to show groups and genre scenes. In addition, coins became stamped with the name of the masters who created them. Coins were also more expensive than they were earlier.
Gold and silver needed to be weighed in order to ensure that they were correct. Another alternative to making coins was casting. This method of coin production required two people to work in tandem. By casting, the coins were cleaner and more refined. It also prevented the precious metals from being removed from the coins. This method was also used in Asia and South-East Asia.
