Ancient Money
Many civilizations have used some form of money for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians, for example, measured out precious metals by balancing them against weight. The Aztecs created a system of trade using cocoa beans. The ever industrious Chinese used dowry shells that eventually evolved in to metal pieces resembling the modern coins in use today. The form of currency for these cultures come close to what is known now as ‘money,’ but there still needed to be a bit of currency evolution.
The First Modern Coins
The evolution of modern coins started in around 500 BC in the Mediterranean. Empires such at the city-states in Greece, Alexander’s Macedonia, and the Roman Empire all used round metal pieces imprinted with Emperors and gods. The difference between these coins and the earlier Chinese coins is the metal used. The Chinese coins tended to use whatever metal was available. The newer money used previous metals like gold and silver to produce gold coins and silver coins. This created a value for the money beyond what was dictated by the government.
Paper Money
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| Pre-Civil War Check 1859-1860 |
The Chinese were also the first to use paper money. From the Ninth to the Fourteenth Century, a system of using paper to represent wealth became widely used in the Chinese empire. When the Mongols came to power, they kept the idea of paper money, calling the pieces ‘silk notes.’ Paper money so impressed the explorer Marco Polo that he wrote about it in his book on the area. Unfortunately, these practices of using paper money lead to extreme inflation and he devaluing of the bills. All use of paper money in China disappeared by 1455.
A Trail Through History
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| 1904-1930's Coin Postcard |
The evolution of money occurs with the rise and fall of empires and societies. Keeping track of historical money is a duty that too many historians take lightly. With every discovery of gold coins, silver coins, metal, and paper money, we begin to understand history just a bit more. The average person can help keep history alive by buying and trading these historical artifacts. The history of a country can be found in the hills and ground all around us. These coins can be artifacts of historical times, like the money from the American Civil War or a time before World War II. Collectors and history buffs from around the world will pay good money for these prizes, keeping history alive for all of us.
Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery is a full service coin dealer that is certified by many numismatic quality regulators and have over 40 years of combined experience. Not only do they deal in rare coins, but they offer several services like auction representation, want lists, bullion sales, paper money, ancient money, historical money, and much more! Visit their beautiful showroom in Sarasota, Florida at 640 South Washington Blvd., just north of the 301 and 41 split. If you have questions, or just want to talk about coins, feel free to call them at (941)-366-2191 or at (800) 447-8778. Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery can also be reached by email at sarararecoin@aol.com.
