Lydia in Asia Minor (now Turkey) may have manufactured the first coins around 600 BCE. The lion's head coins were made of electrum, a natural gold-silver alloy.
Aeginetic stater or drachma was one of the first standardised coins struck by the Greek city-state of Aegina approximately 600-550 BCE. Sea turtles and incuse square punch marks were on these coins.
Standard silver coin of the Roman Republic was the denarius, issued in 211 BCE. Roman gods and goddesses, emperor images, and symbols of Rome's sovereignty appeared on it over time.
Before coinage, ancient China utilised spade-shaped metal pieces as currency. These spade money pieces were used to trade goods and services in the Zhou Dynasty, 770-221 BCE.
Ancient India developed a complex monetary system by 600 BCE. Early Indian coins were silver or copper punch-marked with emblems of monarchs, cities, or deities.
The four-drachm tetradrachm was a popular ancient Greek silver coin. Athens tetradrachms depicting Athena and an owl on one side are famous.
One of the first standardised coins was the 14-gram Lydian stater. These coins, made by King Croesus of Lydia, helped ancient trade develop.