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Pillar of the Community
United States
2212 Posts |
Forgive me if this has been asked before, but what it is the oldest coin in existence? Meaning that we know it was used as currency of some sort, and we know when it manufactured (if not necessarily knowing the exact date) and when and where it was used. A picture or two would be nice, too!
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5176 Posts |
A lot depends on what we count as "currency of some sort". The ancient Egyptian system of barter was pretty close to what we would call currency - up to and including, IIRC, metal objects supposed to be a specified weight - and I think a few of such objects made it to this day, but I've never heard of anyone calling them "coins" or "currency". Taking your definition slightly more literally, probably the Chinese cowrie shell imitations of the Zhou dynasty. I'm not sure they would seriously count as "coins", though (but they're small and flat and roughly circular, and definitely were used as currency). Traditionally, the earliest "coins" are said to be the Lydian punched staters and/or the Ionian striated staters, both second half of 7th century BC; I don't really know much about the latter. This thread has an image of a coin similar to the latter; it's not too hard to find an image of the former. I've been led to believe that some Chinese and Indian issues come within a few decades of the same date, but not quite enough for the top spot (if barely). IIRC, some datings to the Olbian dolphin "coins" go as far back as 7th century BC, which might make them the oldest coins ever. However, while they definitely look like a sort of "proto-coin", I personally believe in a somewhat later dating (wouldn't dare pin it down, but most probably 5th-3rd century). |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
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Moderator
 Australia
16849 Posts |
It has indeed been asked many times before, but we don't mind answering again. The answer does depend entirely on how you define a "coin". See this recent thread for my most recent answer on the subject. The early bronze cowries of China, which look much like the bone cowry pictured in that thread, qualify as coins to the extent that they were small, roughly round, made of metal and intended primarily for use as money. If your definition of "coin" requires some kind of official government stamp or impression (we simply do not know if the cowries were government or private issues) then the concept of "coins" was invented pretty much simultaneously in China and in the Greek cities in what is now western Turkey, sometime around or shortly after 700 BC. Which one actually came first depends on which archeologists you are listening to, since both camps have vocal adherents to claiming the title of having made the "first coins". Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2824 Posts |
Money or currency which has value or something to back up its value I would say the Sumerian bronze coin dating from before 3000 BC. Reverse of the coin is a representation of a sheaf of wheat, and on the obverse Ishtar, the goddess of fertility.
The Sumerians called it a "Shekel" where "She" meant wheat, "Kel" was a measurement similar to a bushel, hence this coin was a symbol of a value of one bushel of wheat.
The first shekel was to be soly used as payment for sacred prostitution at the temple of Ishtar, which was the temple of life and death.
Edited by OcalaFlorida
04/21/2014 7:03 pm
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Moderator
Australia
16849 Posts |
Quote:
Money or currency which has value or something to back up its value I would say the Sumerian bronze coin dating from before 3000 BC. Reverse of the coin is a representation of a sheaf of wheat, and on the obverse Ishtar, the goddess of fertility.
The Sumerians called it a "Shekel" where "She" meant wheat, "Kel" was a measurement similar to a bushel, hence this coin was a symbol of a value of one bushel of wheat.
The first shekel was to be soly used as payment for sacred prostitution at the temple of Ishtar, which was the temple of life and death. Sorry, but as far as I am aware, pretty much everything said there is not based in fact. There are no such "coins"; I have seen this claim repeated numerous times on the Internet, but have not seen a shred of evidence - like a picture of an actual coin identified as such by credible archaeologists - to back it up. The word "shekel" is not Sumerian in origin; it is an ancient Hebrew word simply meaning "weight"; the Sumerians of 3000 BC called it a "gin". Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
Yes, the oldest coins are from around 700 BC. They used to think that the Aegina turtle coins were the oldest, but now the prevailing theory is that the Lydian electrum lion coins are the oldest. I believe that there is a little controversy over whether certain artifacts from around 700 BC were ceremonial tokens or currency, but it is narrowed down to this era at least.
There were objects probably used to transfer and store wealth before that, like bronze ingots and knife/spade/cowry shell money, but they didn't have the standardized weight and design that we associate with coinage.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2824 Posts |
Sap very true, I never knew they never had any dating that far back...I was just going on what I remember reading, I remember they are mentioned in Sumerian cuneiform documents dating as far back as 3100. But they might not of existed or the documents could of been way more modern as we know most bible/ religious texts where written way after the time they claim.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2212 Posts |
I guess what I mean by "coin" in this case is currency used in the same way we use it today.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3546 Posts |
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...coin dating from before 3000 BC Wow, I was initially developing an uneasy feeling early on in this thread from the distinct possibility that I had been displaying a custom but bogus CCF avatar for several years. I feel much better now that the general consensus here indeed validates my avatar's existence since changing it would have been a real bummer.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3546 Posts |
Incidentally, my research indicates that this coin supports the strongest evidence of being the immediate predecessor and lineage association to the subsequent Greek, Roman & even Islamic minting in their most rudimentary forms.
The Chinese metallic monies, however, developed in an unconnected and divergent pathway.
mdpmedia
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,218 |
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Posted 04/21/2014 4:01 pm
