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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Clinker, post: 704997, member: 6229&quot;]With all the research I&#039;ve done over the years, I believe BARTER AND TRADE were the first forms of currency beginning in Ancient China.&nbsp; First were precious metals traded by weight, precious stones valued by size, things of beauty and constant shape like cowrie shells, implements and tools followed by land, animals and food.&nbsp; The necessity of commerce among the poor created the need for lesser valued coinage as bronze and brass.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ask a hundred historians and you get about 25 solid opinions, &quot;Coins appeared at about the same time period&nbsp; in four different places (China, Greece, India and Lydia).&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Lydia did not invent coins.&nbsp; The early Phoenicians were great seafaring traders.&nbsp; Sailing into strange ports they discovered new types of cloth, unique foods and spices, cheap tools and weapos as well as exotic jewelry.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>They plied their wares to merchants in countries where gold flowed abundantly.&nbsp; As most of their products were sold to Lydian businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp; These Phoenicians valued the use of time.&nbsp; They became impatient with the businessmen of Lydia taking so much time to melt gold, weigh it, and having to wait until the gold cooled enough to handle it.&nbsp; The seafaing traders asked the merchants to prepare the gold in advance of their next visit.&nbsp; The Lydians accomodated their suppliers&#039; wishes and set aside globules, beads and other small-sized amounts of gold.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The quest for exact <b><i>firsts </i></b>in coin production continues to today and will stretch into many tomorrows even though it is of no importance.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>My opinion...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Clinker[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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