Ancient Coins:  An Amazing History Lesson

Coins have been made for centuries in many different countries and cultures.  Ancient coins are made of different materials and use different processes than modern coins.  Ancient coins, just like modern ones, reflect the culture in which they came from. Learning about these coins can be very interesting and an excellent way of teaching the history of that culture.

Ancient Roman Coins

Rome began making coins about 290 BC.  The first coins were made out of whatever metal was readily available and the value was determined by the weight of the coin.  Coins at this time were simply a standardized form of barter.

When people began putting images on ancient coins, they initially chose the images of gods.  Various world conquerors also saw themselves as gods, and began to put their images on ancient coins as well.  Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome, and Roman coinage from his time bears his image. 

Ancient coins from Rome tell the story of the Roman Empire.  They unveil the emperor and the events that happened during the years he ruled. The coins were then made to commemorate events that were important. 

Roman coins are fun to collect because of the history, but also because there are lots of them.  Coins from Rome are found all across Europe—wherever the Roman Empire reached.  Just like today, whenever the empire needed cash to fund a new coliseum or war, they minted more money.  Ancient coins from Rome are relatively easy to find and an easy and inexpensive way to begin collecting ancient coins.

Ancient Chinese Coins

China, advanced with their coins, was minting coins while the Western world was still using pretty rocks for money.  Rome used coins as early as 290 BC; however China was minting coins as early as 350 BC.  In 250 BC China started using a round, minted coin with a square hole in the middle, and that’s what Chinese coins looked like for 2,100 years. Chinese coins tell history, too, with each dynasty memorialized in its coinage.

Other Ancient Coins

The other ancient empires also had their coins.  There are Scythian coins, Parthian coins, Greek coins, and Babylonian coins.  The oldest known coin is the Daric, which was used in the Persian Empire prior to 500 BC when it was conquered by Alexander the Great, who replaced it with his own coins with his image. There may be coins older than that, but if so, they are yet to be unearthed.  If and when more ancient coins are found, however, they will reveal another chapter in history of the people who made them.

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