The origins of gold coins.
There is a lot of value in purchasing gold bullion today. There is a well-known safety in bullion, which you do not get in stocks and shares. We like to think that one of the reasons why bullion is such a reliable form of investment, is because of its connection to ancient coinage traditions.
Read ‘Why Do We Value Gold?’ here.
While the production processes are worlds apart, with modern methods of metallurgy being far safer and more reliable, with technological developments; the tradition of using gold – or electrum in ancient coins (a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver) – has been traced back as far as the 6th century BC.
The World’s First Gold Coin
In Lydia, Western Turkey, 6th century BC coins were often produced with the image of a lion or a bull, such as in the image below. This was one of the world’s first examples of the use of precious metals as a currency.
(Source: Sacra-Moneta.com)
Read ‘The Most Expensive & Rare Coins Sold at Auction’ here.
Lydian gold coins could weigh up to 17.2 grams – a little more than 2 gold sovereigns – and as little as 0.2 grams (which would likely be a fraction of the value of the larger – pun intended).
That gold coinage is so ancient and foundational to our culture and civilisation is why we think it is such a safe and reliable way to invest, in this time of economic instability. We all know that when building a house, you should build on the strongest foundations. There is a timelessness and ageless quality to gold coins, regardless of the year they were issued.
We can only imagine the market places of Ancient Lydia and what you could buy with a coin that weighed just 0.2 grams. Some of Bleyer’s smallest gold coins include 1/10oz Gold Coins and the 1 gram Gold Chinese Panda Coin. We also have American Eagle Gold Liberty Head coins from 1903 and 1905, amongst our oldest of stock. While in many ways different to their ancestral predecessors, these coins continue a tradition that is built upon strong foundations.
Read ‘The Origin of Money: A Brief History’ here.
