how did ancient greeks make coins

Most of the Greek coins

were silver. The coins were made by taking a small lump of silver and putting it on an iron mound and then stroke it with striking it with a hammer that had another kind of mound in it.Coins from the city-state of Athens sometimes had a picture of Athens owl on the silver coins.

Full Answer

When did the ancient Greeks start making their own coins?

It was from 600 BC onwards that the Greek city-states began to make their own coins. By 500 BC, each city-state started minting its own coins. Most of the Greek coins were silver.

Did ancient Greeks carry coins in their mouths?

The famous 4 th Century actor Polus is reputed to have received one talent for only two performances. Usually Greeks carried coins in their mouths since their clothing lacked pockets. When someone died they were buried with a couple of coins in their mouth to pay the ferryman Charon their passage across the river Styx to the underworld.

What are the characteristics of Greek coins?

Larger cities now produced a range of fine silver and gold coins, most bearing a portrait of their patron god or goddess or a legendary hero on one side, and a symbol of the city on the other. Some coins employed a visual pun: some coins from Rhodes featured a rose, since the Greek word for rose is rhodon.

How did they make money in ancient Greece?

Ancient Greek Money / Greek coins Most of the Greek coins were silver. The coins were made by taking a small lump of silver and putting it on an iron mound and then stroke it with striking it with a hammer that had another kind of mound in it.Coins from the city-state of Athens sometimes had a picture of Athens owl on the silver coins.

What metal did the Greeks use to make their coins?

For the token coinages, the Greeks used mainly bronze, copper alloyed with tin, or simply copper. The Romans used a yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, a type of brass called orichalcum, for the higher token denominations (see nos. 80-81) and the redder copper for the two smallest denominations.

Did ancient Greece have coins?

drachma, silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century bc, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. The drachma was one of the world's earliest coins. Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning “to grasp,” and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows.

What are Greek coins made of?

Greek coins were made using mostly silver but also gold, electrum (a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold), copper alloy, and bronze.

How were coins invented?

Coins were first made of scraps of metal. Ancient coins were produced through a process of hitting a hammer positioned over an anvil. The rich iconography of the obverse of the early electrum coins contrasts with the dull appearance of their reverse which usually carries only punch marks.

Ancient Greek Coins

Since there was a mold on the hammer and the iron mold, you could see two different pictures getting molded on two different sides at the same time.

Ancient Greek Coins Facts

If you were from Corinth, then you would have a coin which had the picture of Pegasus, which was a flying horse. Now the small coins used to be called obolus. if someone had the job of unloading the boats or of digging ditches then, they would probably get around 2 oboloi a day. There were coins which had more value than the rest too.

Ancient Greek Coins: History

Around the mid 5th Century, BC, a salaried military class, a salaried government class workers and the parliamentary pay was also introduced. The mayor would get around 1 drachma, the judge would get 3 oboloi and finally if you were a member of the parliament, then you would land up getting around 1 drachma too.

Who Really Had the First Coin?

It’s fairly difficult to determine which ancient civilization was the absolute first to use coin money. It is widely acknowledged that the Ancient Greeks, Ancient Chinese, and Ancient Lydians all began using coins around the same time, beginning in the 8th Century BC.

Greek Drachma Started as Long Rods

One thing is for certain – Greeks have been using some form of money in exchange for goods and services since 1100 BC. Back then, however, the drachma wasn’t shaped like coins – it had the form of several long rods and offered a way for people to value their goods and services in a more standardized way.

Ancient Greeks Start Using Coin Money

As mentioned above, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the Ancient Greeks started using coin money. It is likely that they did so at the same time as other civilizations, such as the Chinese and the Ancient Lydians.

The System Gets More Sophisticated

Even though the original drachma featured cylindrical rods, the system got a lot more sophisticated over time. The original system, which was entirely based on the value of these rods, eventually fell out of favor. Instead, a sophisticated system of coinage took its place. Here are some of the coins that were eventually available in Ancient Greece:

The pre-Numismatic Age

In order to facilitate trade and business transaction, various metallics (diverse in weight and shape) circulated among the then known world in the pre-numismatic age. "Tripodes", "axes", "skewers" are among the names given to the above mentioned objects.

Coins expand throughout the Mediterranean

The coin standard of Aegina was prevailing in the whole Aegean from about 600 to 450 BC. The practice of minting coins was directed westwards and the silver 'colts' of Corinth, named after the Pegasus design on the front, were influential in the development of coinage in north-western Greece and also in southern Italy and Sicily.

The Archaic period

As hinted earlier, the archaic period is the earliest period for Greek coin production. The earliest known coins during this period are called East Greek and Lydian coins and they were found at Ephesus under the Temple of Artemis. These two coins are dated around 625 BC to 600 BC.

Classical Period

As indicated earlier, the classical period extended from 480 BC to 323 BC. This was the period during which the Greek coin attained a high level of aesthetic and technical quality. The coins were produced by larger Greek cities in various ranges of fine gold and silver coins.

The Hellenistic period

This period of Greek coinage started in 323 BC and persisted until 31 BC. The period was known for the expansion and spread of the culture of the Greek to all the parts of the world that were known then.

The minting of Greek coins

All the Greek coins ever made during the various periods were handmade and differs in finesse compared to the machine-made coins of the modern world. The designs on the coins were carved into a block of bronze or iron and were called a die. A similar punch was used in carving the design on the opposite side of the coin.

Present day state of Greek coins

You can check museums across the world for Greek coins of different periods. Some of the best places to check are the Danish National Museum, the American Numismatic Society and the British Museum.

Where did ancient Greeks keep their money?

Millions of silver coins may have been stored in the attic of the Parthenon,one of the most famous structures from the ancient world, a research team says.

How was money made in Athens?

Athenians bought and sold goods at a huge marketplace called the agora. There, merchants sold their goods from small stands. Like most city-states, Athens developed its own coins to make trade easier. Coins were made of such metals as gold, silver, and bronze.

What did ancient Greeks use for coins?

Drachma, silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century bc, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. The drachma was one of the world’s earliest coins. Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning “to grasp,” and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows.

Did the Greeks invent coins?

Advertisement. Lydia was credited by the Greeks with inventing coins in the early 6th century BCE which were stamped by the state to guarantee value and be recognisable as genuine. The first Greek coins appeared in Aegina c.

Did ancient Greeks carry money in their mouths?

Usually Greeks carried coins in their mouths since their clothing lacked pockets. When someone died they were buried with a couple of coins in their mouth to pay the ferryman Charon their passage across the river Styx to the underworld.

Was Athens richer than Sparta?

While Spartans relied on agriculture for maintaining their economy, Athens became the foremost trading power of the Mediterranean by the 5th century BC and was thus, considerably richer. The two city-states that best represent each form of government were Sparta (oligarchy) and Athens (democracy).

How much would a drachma buy in ancient Greece?

However, some historians have estimated that in the 5th century BC a drachma had a rough value of 25 U.S. dollars (in the year 1990 – equivalent to 40 USD in 2006). A skilled worker in Athens or a hoplite could earn about one drachma a day. Sculptors and doctors were able to make up to six drachmae daily.

The Archaic Period

Classical Period

• As indicated earlier, the classical period extended from 480 BC to 323 BC. This was the period during which the Greek coin attained a high level of aesthetic and technical quality. The coins were produced by larger Greek cities in various ranges of fine gold and silver coins. Most of them bore the portraits of various patron gods and goddesses. At ...

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The Hellenistic Period

The Minting of Greek Coins

Present Day State of Greek Coins