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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2748084, member: 56859&quot;]With that broad definition, cowrie shells and other such items could be considered coins.&nbsp; I don&#039;t consider those to be &quot;coins&quot;.</p><p><br /></p><p>I agree with [USER=82430]@gregarious[/USER]: for the definition of &quot;coin&quot;, study the opinions, then form your own <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p>...</p><p><br /></p><p>The definition will vary depending on the person you ask.&nbsp; I subscribed to this definition of a <b>coin</b>:&nbsp; a flat or flatish piece of metal, round or roundish, marked by an issuing authority, and given in exchange for goods or services.&nbsp; Or, as per Webster&#039;s dictionary, &quot;A piece of metal (or, rarely, of some other material) certified by a mark or marks upon it to be of a definite exchange value and issued by governmental authority to be used as money.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Others will certainly disagree but I don&#039;t view Chinese &quot;knife money&quot; as &quot;coins&quot;.&nbsp; Money, yes, but not &quot;coins&quot;.&nbsp; Argue with me all you want; you may be more correct in your views than I am in mine... but I probably won&#039;t change my mind <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp; I also do not consider Olbian dolphins to be &quot;coins&quot;.&nbsp; That doesn&#039;t mean knife money and Olbian dolphins aren&#039;t fascinating-- I just don&#039;t view them as &quot;coins&quot;.</p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t know who issued the oldest bronze coins.&nbsp; The oldest <b>bronze</b> coin in my collection is 5th century BCE (Syracuse AE tetras, 2nd Democracy, c. 425 BCE).&nbsp; There are some bronzes from the slightly earlier Deinomenid Tyranny but I don&#039;t have one.&nbsp; There could be earlier bronzes from elsewhere but I haven&#039;t really looked for the oldest bronze.&nbsp; The oldest coin in my collection without regard to metal is 7th century BCE (electrum; Lydian lion trite).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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