The end of the barter era

 The end of the barter era

The beginning of the era of currency :

With the emergence of foreign trade, humanity became in need of a means that could be agreed to accept a certain value, and it was necessary for the state to recognize this means or for the government to manufacture it in order to obtain its legitimacy and be able to use it. Agreement on this method was truly rare and generally difficult to obtain. One of the most important characteristics of this medium was its ability to be divided and to preserve wealth and not destroy it, and this is how coins appeared. The metals used in most regions of the world were copper, iron, obsidian (precious stones), amber, beads, and lead, in addition to gold and silver.

The first official coinage :

Although the idea of ​​using the metal in trade began, the first official mint of a coin was the "electrum", a coin made of silver and gold in the Kingdom of Lydia, which is now located in western Turkey, during the reign of King Eliatus. They were used to pay the army and bore different images between denominations of currency. This currency contributed to enhancing trade in the country, until Lydia became the richest empire in Asia at that time.