The first coins seem to have been minted around 650 B.C. in Lydia, in what is now the western part of Turkey. Prior to the invention of coins, goods were exchanged using pieces of carefully weighed precious metal like gold or silver.This was a somewhat clumsy system, and it was gradually replaced by coins made of standardized weights of precious metal, usually silver or gold but also copper. Coins soon became the preferred form of payment for goods in those parts of the world they were used - the Mediterranean region, India, and China.
It was the Greeks who in the fifth century B.C. began to commission skilled artists to design the faces and figures on their coins. They often used images of gods and goddesses; various animals and common objects like shields were also used to adorn coins.
Coins issued under Alexander the Great typically show the mythical hero Hercules. Living people were usually not depicted on coins until the beginning of the Roman Empire. Then, the emperors made sure to show their portraits on the coins issued under their rule.
The Rise of Coin Collecting
It seems that some Roman emperors used to pay higher prices than the face value for certain older coins no longer in circulation -- if true, then they were the first "coin collectors".
Next historic evidence of coin collecting stems from the Middle Ages: Francesco Petrarca, an Italian poet who lived during the 14th century, is known to have been an enthusiastic collector of old coins.
Coin collecting also became fashionable among some of the Popes, and other noblemen, during the 15th century. Later, kings like Louis XIV of France took a serious interest in collecting old coins; indeed, the activity became known as "The hobby of Kings".
Later, as time passed, coin collecting was no longer an interest reserved for the wealthiest. It remained a rather exclusive hobby though, up to recent times. The first international convention for coin collectors was held as recently as 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. However, as it was attended by about 40,000 people it's evident that coin collecting had by then turned into a hobby for ordinary folks like you and me.
Nowadays millions of ordinary people are interested in collecting coins, and coin collections are on display in a couple of museums, including the Smithsonian in Washington D. C.
Coins In the U.S.
The United States didn't officially start minting their own coins until 1792, when the Coinage Act was passed. This declared the United States dollar as the official means of monetary exchange all over the country.
The first coin manufacturing facility was located in Philadelphia, which was back then the US capital. It was followed by the San Francisco Mint in 1854, and by the Denver Mint in 1906. There have been a few more branch facilities but those are long gone.
Source: coincollectingsecrets101.com
