Does anyone know....................

I've heard that Augustus (the Roman emperor Augustus) collected coins of the world & gave coin sets as gifts. This would mean that there were probably several coin collectors out in the field trading coins. They would then need to bring the coins back to Rome for subsequent trading with Augustus. This was probably all accomplished without a grey sheet or TPG. :devil:

 

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I only meant to say that there is earlier evidence of collecting in the far east than in the west.

The debate over who invented the first coins is fraught with nationalistic drive for one region or the other to be older. The earliest spade coins date to circa 700-600 BC, while the earliest Lydian electrum to the same period (though now believed to be on the newer end of that spectrum.) My complaint is that the spades are really more of a protocurrency and, if we count that, then we might as well count hacksilber. I'm just saying we should compare apples to apples.

 

Cowrie shells were in use during the Western Zhou dynasty, c. 1122-771. I am inclined to count them. Do you? What I'm saying is that we should also count whatever western parallels exist.

 

This has been an interesting thread. I want to thank all those for their input. Keep it coming!

I'm glad now that I asked this dumb question. LOL!

Chris

 

As has been implied here, I'd bet there have been coin collectors for as long as there have been coins. But, I'd also bet there have been money collectors long before there were coins, in that there have been shell and rock and other forms of money collectors since man first began using objects to buy other objects. Its in our nature so it's a reasonable assumption.
Guy

 

I'll bet those guys who used shells for money had it made. If they wanted to go to a house of ill-repute, all they had to do was take a walk on the beach and collect some shells.

Chris

 

Yep, the true golden era of human existence. We sure missed out.
Guy

 

Most shell money is prepared in some labor-intensive way, generally ground down to beads and/or holed and strung. At the very least it's carried (by humans) from far away. People assume that because it's made of shells it's cheap. But if something were so abundant and easy to acquire as that, it would never be used as money.

EDIT: I don't mean to say that cowrie shells are coins. I'm trying to stress the idea that coinage wasn't invented, so much as evolved over time from other forms of exchange.

 

And if they didn't have to add extra labor to make the shells into money, you can probably bet the valuable shells would be a variety that was NOT common in the local area.