What is your oldest coin?

I doubt there was any communication between Lydia and the 12 Gahdhara kingdoms of India. Coinage was simply an idea whose time had come by 650 BCE in three different parts of the world due to advanced civilization, the need to facilitate commercial transactions, and the need of states to find a simple way to pay armies of thousands of men.

So right around 650 BCE coinage seems to have been simultaneously developed in Lydia (from where it spread to Europe), India (from where it spread through central and southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent), and also in China (from where it spread East towards Japan, and South towards Vietnam and other surrounding areas).

The idea that the first coin was the Lydian stater has been discredited after non-Eurocentric numismatists were able to prove from hoard finds that coinage developed at the same time in these three separate regions. And the big difference between my Indian Satamana bent bar coin and a Lydian stater is that mine will only set you back $100.00 for the oldest or certainly one of the oldest coins in the world, while a Lydian stater will set you back a grand or more. It mostly has to do with western collectors being very focused on European coins, and very ignorant or unaware of numismatics in other areas of the world. As a result, you can find some amazing ancient and medieval Asian coinage, including some pretty rare coins, for very little money in comparison to considerably more common European coins of the same era.

 

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1773 Denmark Skilling

 

1834 Copper Large Cent (N-1)

 

Keep on rolling out these coins!!

 

I think this is my oldest. Athens tetradrachm with counterstamp,
454-404 BC

 

1864 Indian head, given to me by a friend

 

KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes
c. 630-564 BCE
Electrum trite, 4.8 gm, 13.4 mm. Sardes mint.
Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead
Rev: two incuse square punches
Ref: Weidauer Group XV; BMC 2

 

Where are you getting that date? I don't own any relevant reference books but CoinIndia (who seem to know their ancient Asian coins) pegs these at 6th-5th century BCE.

 

Cool thread and great coins. My oldest coin with a date on it is this 1566 Denar. Zygmund II Augustus, silver .64 grams, 14 mm. Lithuania. ref:gum#595. My oldest ancient coin is a Philip II, 359-336 b.c., macadonia bronze drachme. ref:mionet 735.

 

Damn. Now that's what I'm talking about. I want one!

 

New oldest coin for me.

 

books on indian punchmark coins begin the series at around 600 bc. with china, I have seen dates for some of the boat and fish money as early as 1000 bc. same with the celtic ring money.

I am sceptical of these dates 1000 bc dates

 

How about the oldest with a date in Arabic Numerals (You know, 1, 2, 3...)

 

well for hammered one of these.


Minted is this.

 

1790

 

View attachment 557290

 

mine is 1 USSR Rubl 1965

 

Cool as two cool things!