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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ardatirion, post: 1117850, member: 9204&quot;]You&#039;ve made posts like this before. At best, I feel you&#039;re making a gross simplification of the situation. Can you cite any worthwhile sources, particularly for the notes?</p><p><br /></p><p>The reason some people cite China as developing coinage first is that forms of proto-currency are included in most Chinese numismatic catalogs and monographs. This is almost entirely overlooked in works on Western coinage. Nevertheless, hacksilber, uncoined bullion, prototype bronze spades, and cowrie shells are all forms of wealth storage that were in widespread use before coins. Early uninscribed spades and cowrie imitations are found in Shang dynasty tombs and were likely used as forms of currency. In the west, uncoined pieces of silver, bronze, and gold were widely circulated in the same manner. </p><p><br /></p><p>As far as coined metal goes, the first inscribed spades were issued in China circa 650-400 BC. The earliest Lydian electrum coins were also produced in the early 7th century.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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