Storiascopio · Era 4 of 12 · primary year 4
Coins in the Mediterranean
about 600 BC · Sardis, Lydia (now Turkey)
In short
The first coins were struck in Lydia, a kingdom in today's Turkey, from electrum, a natural mix of gold and silver. They were small pieces of metal with a fixed weight and a stamped picture, such as a lion's head, that guaranteed their value. Before that, people paid by weighing metal or by swapping goods. Soon the Greek cities also began making coins of their own.
Why it matters With coins, buying and selling became simpler and quicker for everyone.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Coin”
Where we are in the era “Sea civilisations”
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
about 2000 BCEvent 23 of 25about 500 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/coins-in-the-mediterranean/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class