The Evolution of Coinage (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

From barter to coinage: how money changed the world.

This Cambridge edition of The Evolution of Coinage guides readers through the dawn of money, the rise of precious metals, and the birth of stamped coins. It explains how societies moved from barter to standardized pieces of metal, and how merchants, weights, and marks shaped early economies.

The book traces the journey from primitive measures of value to durable, portable currency. It discusses electrum coins minted around 700 B.C. in Asia Minor, the role of Greek and Lydian innovations, and the way official seals and marks guaranteed weight and quality. You’ll see how coin designs evolved from heraldic and religious symbols to portraiture of rulers as states grew more centralized.

• How early economies solved problems of durability, portability, and divisibility
• The rise of coin types, inscriptions, and the authority behind them
• The influence of religion, art, and imitation on early coin design
• The shift from private to state-issued coinage and the birth of portraiture

Ideal for readers of history, archaeology, and numismatics, this edition brings together clear explanations with careful detail about the origins and development of money.

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