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The first coins were minted in Lydia around 600 BCE

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A stamp on a lump of electrum meant you could count money instead of weighing it.

Verified · American Numismatic Association — Money Museum

Money is older than coins, but the coin - a standardised piece of metal whose value is guaranteed by an official stamp - was invented in the kingdom of Lydia, in western Anatolia (modern Turkey), around 630-600 BCE.

These first coins were made of electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver panned from Lydian rivers such as the Pactolus. Each was struck with a design that vouched for its metal, weight and purity.

The breakthrough was simple but profound: merchants could now count out money instead of weighing it out at every transaction.

The system was surprisingly sophisticated. Lydian coins were issued in as many as seven denominations. Under King Croesus - proverbially rich - Lydia went on to mint the first pure gold and silver coins, setting a template the Greeks, Persians and Romans would all adopt.

c. 600 BCE
first coins minted
electrum
natural gold-silver alloy used
7
denominations issued

Sources & references

2 references

Well-established. Corroborated by 2 independent sources.

1 American Numismatic Association — Money Museum institution “Coins were invented during the 7th century B.C. in Asia Minor. The first coinage identified with a kingdom comes from Lydia: simple electrum lumps with regular weights.” money.org ↗
2 World History Encyclopedia history reference “In approximately 630 BCE, someone in the Anatolian kingdom of Lydia stamped a piece of precious metal, produced in seven denominations, called croesids in honor of King Croesus.” worldhistory.org ↗
✓ Last reviewed Jun 6, 2026

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