The first coins were made in the seventh century BC by the Lydians. They were a wealthy and powerful people living in Asia Minor. These primitive coins were made of ‘electrum’, which is a natural composition of 75 percent gold and 25 percent silver. They were about the size and shape of a bean and were known as ‘staters’ or ‘standards’.
The Greeks saw these coins and appreciated the usefulness of a standard metal money, so they began to make coins too. Gold coins were the most valuable and next came silver and finally copper. Greek coinage lasted for about 500 years.
Fact file: At one time coins were made from the valuable metals gold and silver. The last solid gold coins were made in 1933, and the last silver coins were dated 1964. |
Picture Credit : Google