Date: 4 Jun 2026
Topic: History
Codebreakers are a fun way to build numeracy skills.
The oldest known coins come from the ancient kingdom of Lydia, located in what is now Türkiye. They were made from electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver that was common in the region.
The minting process involved heating the metal, shaping it into small blanks, and striking it between engraved dies to create a standardized design. This process became known as minting.
Before coins, people often traded using weighed quantities of precious metals, goods, or credit arrangements. Coins offered a major advantage: they were durable, portable, and standardized. Rather than weighing out gold or silver for every transaction, merchants could trust a coin's value based on its official stamp.
One of the most important innovations of coinage was that it allowed governments to guarantee the weight and purity of the metal. This made trade faster, easier, and more reliable across large regions.
Some ancient coins are so well preserved that you can still clearly see faces and inscriptions struck over 2,500 years ago.