What's the oldest coin, what's the oldest coin that affordable?

I have read several sources online about the oldest coin in the world, but all these sources show different coins. So what is THE oldest coin in the world?

As far as ancients go, what are some of the oldest coins that are affordable?

Lastly, what are some of the 1st ancient coins made like modern coins (perfect circle, perfect thickness).

Thanks.

 

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It is arguable what the oldest coin in the world is, but dating from early 7th Century to early 6th Century from what I have read.

You can get a coin dating around 500 BC for $50

No ancient coins were made like modern coins... infact, that didn't start until the 16th Century (I believe, maybe the 15th).

 

What's the oldest coin that's affordable? Define affordable please. To David Hall the 1933 saint gaudens is affordable. To someone unemployed maybe a circulated wheat cent.

 

You can find Roman and Greek coins for $10 in coin shops. They are really worn bronze coins, but they were used at one time.

 

The oldest that are affordable for most collectors are the Ionian coins from the 6th century BC:



Now I own "money" that is older, but it is not a coin:



These dolphin monies from Olbia are from approximately 700-650BC. There maybe older monies from China also, but not coins.

 

:w8v4:

Archaic coins from Lydia are certainly amongst the oldest ...

 

A thousand years before coinage 1500 BC Celtic rings were used as currency.

 

I don't understand the collecting of these rings. Maybe a couple just for the sake of having this old of currency, but for me there is no aesthetic value nor is there to my untrained eye any way of dating them.

So far, the oldest coins I have that I can afford is my ATTICA, AEGINA AR Stater Sea Turtle or my MYSIA Kysikos AR Hemiobol, both c. 480-450 BC

 

Thracian Lion circa 480 BC -

 

Its generally accepted the electrum coins from Lydia are the first coins in the world. They are early 7th century BC. With looking, you can find small silver 6th century BC coins for less than $50.

As to "perfect" coins, you really are probably talking machine struck, which happen regularly starting in the 17th century. Many hand struck are pretty darn good, but are never as "perfect" as machine struck. Heck, Chinese cash coins dating back 2200 years are extremely tight tolerances, but they are cast, and I am not quite sure of yoru question Tim.

Scottishmoney, I go the other way with your dolphin. I DO consider it a coin, but I do not accept the dating. They used to be thought to be that old, but last I read most people date them more around 5-6th century BC nowadays. Really nice example of one.

 

The dolphin money is pretty cool. These people have some for sale at around $20 each:

http://www.nobleromancoins.com/index.php?cPath=90

 

Eh, maybe, maybe not. The scholarship proving these are "coins" is extremely sketchy. The major problems are:

1. Doesn't fit definition of a coin, no mark of issuing authority
2. No readily identifiable system of denominations

As metal, of course they could be traded. Same was done all over the world. I simply reject them as "coins". Also, btw, almost all "celtic ring money" on Ebay is a fraud. What they most likely are is remnants of bridles. Every bridle has about 40 of these little bronze ringlets on them, when the bridle gets buried in the ground the leather rots away but the bronze remains. The fact they dug these pieces of bronze up from the ground, or they may be old, is not the issue. The issue is they were never coins or traded as coinage.

 

correspondence course available

Detecto:
As I recall, this information is included in the ANA's correspondence course. I recommend the ANA's correspondence course because it includes many collecting subjects far beyond 'grading & values of US coins'. Upon completion of the course, you receive a diploma from the ANA. This course & all types of numismatic continuing education is also available at the summer seminar.

One year for Christmas, my wife bought me the correspondence course from the ANA. I think it was about 25 years ago. Yes, I could check the date on the diploma & yes we are still married.

 

The dolphin coins are available at that site and are described as "Olbia, Sarmatia, 'Premium' Dolphin money, 5th Cent. B.C."

Here is a larger image they provide:



I think they are pretty neat pieces. Might pick one up in the future.

 

Actually it was mine just long enough for me to image it - but my teenage daughter is really into dolphin stuff and she has owned it for quite sometime now. I think of it as "money" but not really a coin. I have several pieces of money that are metallic but don't consider them to be coins. It is conjectured that the dolphin money started out as some form of amulet and then later traded as money. The example I have imaged above is an especially nice variety with a dorsal fin and tail - usually these don't have the fin and or tail and have much less detail. As for the actual age, it is subjective much like many other very early forms of money.

 

These are from Chersonesos/Khersonesos and from the mid 4th century BC. I collect these by what they have in the quarters on the reverse - my favourites have bees and geckos in the quadrants.

 

But, one of the key components of coinage is there. They actually have identifiable monetary units of measure with them. THere is full sized, half sized, etc. We do not know what they called the denominations, but it appears there is a unit of measure represented by the sizes, and some of them DO list Oblia as the issuing authority.

That is why I do consider them coins, and interesting ones at that, I was just relaying what modern scholarship and archeological dating data is telling us about the dating of them.

 

Not the oldest, but heres my oldest too.

Ionia, Miletos
AR
6th century BC
Lion right, roaring head turned back left/ star and pellets

9mm .9g

 

I don't agree that they are coins, but do agree they are money - and on that I believe most people agree - the lowest common denominator is that they were money.

 

I am just curious, what do you see as the difference between these and early electrum coins?