c. 600 BC: Lydia strikes the first coins

The earliest coins were made of electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver found in the rivers of western Anatolia. A stamp guaranteed weight and value, so traders no longer had to weigh metal for every deal. The lion's head became the symbol of the Lydian kings.

King Croesus, who ruled until about 546 BC and whose wealth became proverbial, is credited with the next step: separate coins of pure gold and pure silver. Lydian coins are rare and highly prized today; they are also among the most faked ancient coins, so provenance matters.

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