The Lydian Stater is widely considered the oldest coin in the world . It originated in the Kingdom of Lydia, in modern-day Turkey, around 610-600 BCE.
Here’s why the Lydian Stater is considered so significant:
- First Officially Issued Coin: Numismatic historians agree that the Lydian stater was the first coin officially issued by a government.
- Standardization: It represented a standardized unit of weight, crucial for facilitating trade.
- Material: These early coins were made of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver readily available in the Pactolus River of Lydia.
- Influence: The Lydian stater served as a model for subsequent coinage in other regions, including ancient Greece, Persia, and beyond.
- Design: The coins typically featured a roaring lion, the emblem of the Lydian kings, [according to the American Numismatic Association].
While other forms of currency existed before the Lydian Stater, such as cowrie shells, metal ingots, and various commodities like livestock or grain, the Lydian Stater stands out as the first standardized metal coin officially issued for trade.
Note: While the Lydian Stater is widely recognized as the oldest coin, some discoveries in China suggest the possibility of earlier coin minting dating to around 640 BC. This indicates a potentially independent development of coinage in different parts of the world.
What was the first coin made?
Thanks for asking. Gold staters from Lydia were first coins in the world
The earliest coins of any on the planet are believed to date back to approximately the second half of the 7th century BC, during the reign of King Alyattes, who was in power from 619 to 560 BC.
What coin is worth $1,000,000?
The 100-kilogram (220-pound) Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is a novelty coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint with a face value of $1 million. Made of 99.999% pure gold, this monolithic coin features the iconic maple leaf design on the reverse and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.