Ancient Greek coins were produced in the Kingdom of Lydia, today’s Turkey. The first period is called Archaic period that extended from about 600BCE till the Persian wars of 480 BCE.
This is when ancient Greek coins first made its appearance in Greece. These coins were not symmetrically round but pressed lumps of metals of irregular shape. These coins were made from gold, silver or electrum.
Then followed the Classical period, which ended with the subjection of Alexander the Great, at about 330 BC. These coins were minted from gold or silver and were more consistent in shape. They had representations of deities on one side, and a polis symbol on the other.
The third period is called the Hellenistic period that extended till the preoccupation of Greece by the Romans in the first century BCE. These coins were not as detailed as the Classical period coins as they were designed for mass circulation.
They were largely minted from gold, and larger than previous coins. The production of ancient Greek coins did not stop here as the Greeks still produced their own coins under roman rule.
All ancient Greek coins were hand made, and did not have a ridge on its edges like today’s coins. These coins had a combination of inscriptions, symbols and figures that depicted the poleis independence. The historic pictures in ancient Greek coins are why these coins make a great contribution to art history.
In these pictures you find pictures of sanctified buildings and temples that depict the level of their grandness. It is because of all this that ancient Greek coins were considered to be more than just money; they all bring some pride to their religion.
To differentiate between currencies used by different poleis, each polis designed their own coins with symbols of deities and heroes each polis considered important to their government.
It is said that there are more than 10,000 different types of ancient Greek coins that were made between the Greeks and Romans. There are still 1000 different types of coins that archeologists are constantly on the lookout for.
The most noteworthy coins are those inspired by Alexander the great and Julius Caesar. In fact, in their time, these coins were considered to be the most powerful coins in circulation. These coins had dominant symbols like Hercules and Zeus inscribed on them.
Besides them, the Greek are also famous for placing the ugliest face that has ever been minted on a coin, which is the face of Medusa. This ancient Greek coin has her sticking her tongue out, her crude looking teeth and snakes swarming on her head.
