история монет is fascinating, and it could take multiple books to cover all the aspects. It is possible that coins were invented hundreds of years ago. There was enough technology and need for them in ancient societies. Besides metals and precious stones, other objects could have served as coins in those days. And, if that was the case, then why did it take so long for them to become popular? It could be that, for a time, coins were not even needed!
By the fifth century C.E., coinage practices reached India. Early prototypes were found among the Mauyan and Kushan. Lydian coinage used gold and featured a king's portrait. Greeks in Asia Minor copied this design and used it for their own coins. There were also traces of copper money, including the first cast of it, recovered from the Shang Dynasty tomb. Such money had a date in the eleventh century B.C.E. and, in the early Byzantine Empire, thin gold coins depicted Christian crosses and various Byzantine emperors.
Throughout the ages, different cultures have used coins. Spain was one of the first to use coins, and coinage there varied widely between regions. However, some types became common in interregional trade. The silver sceatta, for example, was popular in the Dutch, England, and Frisian region. The penny, meanwhile, was a popular interregional silver coin that was used in many languages. Eventually, however, medieval coins began to degrade and fell in value as their use decreased.
After a short period without any cents, Britannia returned to British coinage in 1660. But the design of Roettiers continued to appear on copper coins until 1775. The Industrial Revolution transformed the way Great Britain used money. Earlier, people lived off the land and grew their own food and made their clothes. They often bartered with neighbors for everything, so the need for quality money grew exponentially. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s that the need for coins was so high.
The first official coin in the US was struck in 1893. Almost twenty years later, the US Mint began producing coins. The coins were first struck by engravers in Philadelphia who used a letter punch to strike them. It took a couple of years for the US Mint to get all the necessary equipment to create new coins. That was a lot of work, but the result was a successful project that helped the United States to become a great nation.
The Great Seal of the United States is etched on one side of the Peace dollar. The other side of the coin features the family home of President Grant. The incuse star on the obverse right field is a rarity and makes the coin more valuable today. The perfect storm for coin history, it seems. When the two coincide, the result was a coin that everyone can agree on. But what about the coin that was made for this special occasion?