The very first coins were made of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold. (Coincidentally enough, many centuries later in 1830 just shortly after the independence of Greece, the first Greek State-organized coin collecting efforts were launched on the very island where it all began.) The innovation of coinage spread from port cities to mainland city-states and was eventually adopted by the Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans. Numismatists note the Greek island of Aegina to be the historic birthplace of minted coinage. Though it remains unclear as to who first invented this method of payment, as credited with a legion of ingenious inventions, the ancient Greeks are considered the early adopters of minted coins. Thus was born coinage.ДЄccording to Aristotle, the first coins were minted by Hermodike II, daughter of King Agamemnon of Aeolian Kyme, while historian Herodotus credits the Lydians, a western Anatolian people. This form of legal tender took on a more convenient rounded shape during in the Archaic Age, preceding democracy (508-507 BC). Six oboloi equaled an ancient drachma, which derives its name from the ancient Greek word for grasp or handful: drattomai. In Greece, thin long metal rods called ovolos or obelos (singular), preceded the coin.

With roots in the Fertile Crescent, the use of metal currency for commerce provided the means for trade to blossom. Early forms of metal currency include the talanto, an animal hide-shaped bronze plate.

Metal, which could withstand the test of time, could be forged into shapes, and was easier to carry around. The barter of nomadic life proved inconvenient, however, and trade in the form of pieces of metal became a preferred method. That is, the exchange of goods and services for other goods and services. And while digital money and cryptocurrencies are trending, the archaic invention of coinage and its adoption as an official means of trade is a phenomenon that shaped the course of history as we know it.Дating back to prehistoric times, the earliest form of trade was that of barter. '.BUT MONEY (ОќОџОњО™ОЈОњО‘).EXISTS NOT BY NATURE, BUT BY LAW (ОќОџОњОџОЈ), AND IT IS IN OUR POWER TO CHANGE IT AND MAKE IT USELESS.'Д¬ oins constitute some of the worldвЂ™s most well-preserved ancient artifacts, offering modern society a true glimpse into the past: a look into international trade, cultural traditions, and prominent figures of the time.

Coinage magazine