Do you know many nations did not make coins until they were conquered by another country? The conquering country used coinage for commerce and as a medium to pay their military members and asked for tribute to be paid in exchange for peace and protection. Do you know coinage started out in different parts of the world at approximateluy the same time? China, India and Lydia share the distinction of being the first countries to mint coins sometime between 643 and 630 B.C. The first coins were lumps of metal with a design (usually a religious symbol or monarch's crest) hammered onto one side of it. Historians believe Lydia beat the others by a few years. Their coins were made of a naturally occurring metal consisting of a mixture of silver and gold called electrum. After a decade or two, under the direction of the king, the coins became a medium with a guaranteed weight and purity and were hammered with the seal of the king. Do you know, in ancient times to the middle ages, the coins which have obverse and reverse images, words,etc. on them were hand-hammered? The reverse die was called the "anvil" die. Just so you know, the reverse die is still referred to as the "anvil" die. The "anvil" die is the fixed die. The flan (ancient word for blank or planchet) was heated, placed on the "anvil" die, then the obverse die held close to the surface of the heated flan and the celator (minter) struck the obverse die with a large heavy hammer causing the two designs to be struck onto the new coin. NOTE1: Because the flan had to be heated, the celator used tongs to place the flan on the "anvil" die. As a result some coins, especially Roman provincial coins, bear permanent indentations in the center of the coins. At today's mints coinage begins with an artist's artwork. An ingraver creates the "models" which are about 8" in diameter. A cast is made of the "model" using plaster or plastic. The cast then becomes a "galvano" by "electroplating" it with a metal. The "galvano" is attached to a JANVIER reducing lathe to create a "master hub" with the proper size of the coin to be struck. The "master hub" is used to make a few "master dies". These "master dies" are used to make "working hubs" which, in turn, are used to make "working dies" that will actually be used to strike the coins, No longer are coins "hand struck". Presses using tons of pressure per square inch are used to impress the obverse and reverse designs onto the coins. Because of this huge pressure, a third die has been created: a collar. The collar has two functions: 1. It's main use is to keep the coin's edge in proper shape and size. 2. The other function is to impress a design on the edge of the coin if a design is mandated. The edge can be plain (no design), reeded, bear a message in raised or incused lettering, numbering, or any other design such as vines, stars, etc., or a combination of these. Happy New Year! Clinker
Just to help your readers understand, here's a pic of those kind of dies Clinker The anvil die is the one with the pointed end.
Thanks Clinker,and happy new year! Here is a really good article on the Lydian Lion coins in case some of your readers would care to investigate further.It is usually considered to be the first true coin but who really knows.The article goes into this debate. http://rg.ancients.info/lion/article.html
Mikjo0... you..done it again! Your link reinforces my trivia... I hope aught7 is a great year for you! Clinker
Bonedigger....It's collectors like you that makes Coin Talk work. Hope '07 is very kind to you and your family! Clinker
Thanks as always for the trivia, Clinker. Some researchers contend that Indian coinage was first, from 8th C BC, but there isn't any direct evidence to support that. The first confirmed Indian coins came from Madhyadesha, in central India, just before 5th C BC, and were of the punched-mark type. It may be that coinage developed only in the 6-5th C because there were no good local sources for silver, and it was only at this time that silver became available from trade with the west (e.g. Persia). A happy new year to all...
acanthite.... Thanks.....for your info....Maybe, some time in the future, I can put some trivia up about some interesting "first coinage" of different countries...maybe! Clinker
