of Gemstones and Jewellery... Since 1981
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The first coins
Coins are pieces of
metal marked with a design that instantly shows their worth as money.
The earliest coins were made during the seventh century B.C. in the kingdom
of Lydia
(now known as Turkey). A mixture of gold and silver lumps were weighed
and used as money,
and were stamped with pictures to confirm their weight and therefore their
value.
The process of stamping
is called "minting". The stamp on the coin was a personal seal
that
identified the person who had guaranteed the coin's weight. The shape
of the coins was not
important. 
This new method of
organizing money was a great success and soon spread into Europe and
Asia. Other forms of money was standardized elsewhere: Copper lumps in
Italy and Russia,
bronze tools and shells in China, silver rings in Thailand, and gold and
silver bars in Japan.
... more coin information coming soon!
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