Section 6: Early coins Previous | Section Index
The many advantages of coins induced governments throughout the world to produce coin money
silver siglos
Silver siglos
Persian
Issued by King Darius
450–400 B.C.		 gold daric
Gold daric
Persian
Issued by Artaxerxes II
405–359 B.C.		 bronze ae
Bronze AE
Roman
27 B.C.–A.D. 14
bronze as
Bronze AS
Roman
187–175 B.C.		 silver tetradrachm
Silver tetradrachm
Athenian
490–430 B.C.		 gold nomisma
Gold nomisma
Byzantine
Michael VII
A.D. 1100–1200
silver blanc
Silver blanc
French
Charles VI
A.D. 1389		 gold ducat
Gold ducat
Venetian
Issued by A. Gritti,
Doge of Venice
A.D. 1523–39		 groat
Groat
English
Henry VIII
A.D. 1547–51
silver bu-gin
Silver bu-gin
Japanese
circa A.D. 1859		 bronze pu
Bronze pu
Chinese, Chou Dynasty
340–250 B.C.		  
Section Index