The title of the world’s oldest coin is often attributed to the Lydian Lion , also known as the Lydian electrum stater.
Here’s why and some details about it:
- Origin: It originated in the Kingdom of Lydia (modern-day Turkey) around 600 BCE.
- Material: It was made from electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver.
- Design: The obverse (front) features a roaring lion’s head, the emblem of the Lydian Kings who created it. The reverse side typically has a simpler, incuse punch.
- Significance: The Lydian Lion was a revolutionary invention, representing the shift from a barter-based economy to a standardized system of currency. It facilitated trade and economic growth, influencing the development of coinage in neighboring regions like Greece and Persia.
- Value: It was probably worth about one month’s pay in ancient Lydia. Today, due to its historical significance and rarity, its estimated value can reach millions of dollars.
While other regions like China also developed coinage around the same period, the Lydian Lion is widely recognized as the earliest coin in the Western world and a direct ancestor of modern currency systems.
What is the oldest and rarest coin in the world?
Thanks for asking. The Lydian lion was the first coin in the world and the origin of coinage. The coin was minted by the kingdom of Lydia, which was located in modern-day Turkey and was known for its rich deposits of electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver.
Who made the first coin in the world?
From my experience, 650–490 bc. True coinage began soon after 650 bc. The 6th-century Greek poet Xenophanes, quoted by the historian Herodotus, ascribed its invention to the Lydians, “the first to strike and use coins of gold and silver.” King Croesus of Lydia (reigned c.
What is the oldest US coin ever found?
Fugio cent. The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, is the first official circulation coin of the United States. Consisting of 0.36 oz (10 g) of copper and minted dated 1787, by some accounts it was designed by Benjamin Franklin.