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Coinage - Coggle Diagram
Coinage
origins
invented in Lydian kingdom, at an unknown date probs between 660-640
the theory is that they discovered naturally occurring electrum running down the Pactolus river near Sardis
because they did not know how to separate the electrum, they merely portioned off chunks of it into coins, and gave them all the same value (even if one chunk had more gold in it than another)
it is proposed that the lydians created coinage to repay mercenaries who fought against the Cimmerians. Usually, one would repay mercenaries with land and booty from the defeated, but Cimmerians were nomads without land or cities to sack
thus, the mercenaries were recompensed with coins, which the state could control and easily measure
Monometallic Coinage
monometallic means not alloys, just pure silver or gold
this is adopted under Croesus in the 560s/50s, and continues under Cyrus and Cambyses, who just stuck with what was known and already accepted
in the later 6th century, Greece adopts silver coinage, and the colophon hoard is good illustration of this - ionian city minting hundreds of thousands of small silver coins, shows there was a market demand
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State
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development of coinage shows a state developing also, shows a unified polis
iconography represents state, but some coins are tiny so need a big, clear image
Athenian Coinage
firstly, Wappenmunzen
‘heraldic coins’ in Athens under the Peisistratids, 540s
with several different images relating to individual aristocrats rather than the larger state. Such as horses, wheels, amphora etc.
these coins dont travel very far from Athens, as a result of variety of coin types
Gorgon type (c. 525)
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this symbol does not stick, an experiment, but does represent a single image associated with Athens
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Owl type (510-500)
fully realised civic iconography, with Athena in attic style helmet
on the reverse we have the owl, with ATHE
this design barely changes for 300 years, long-lived and stable
they get produced in huge numbers, and travel very far, they are widely accepted, even in the Near East
terminology
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test cuts
cuts people make with a sword to test the actual metal of the coin and make sure they weren't just plated
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