In 600 BC the Lydians were the first to start using small amounts of precious metals as a form of coinage. They were often cut or broken into lumps and then used for trade. The advantages to the Lydian people were obvious. Coins are portable, durable and relatively light. It meant that traveling to villages or markets to trade didn't involve carrying all the goods you wished to trade with you and then all the goods you had taken in exchange back with you. Previously if you want to buy an item from someone you had to have an item they wanted in return. If you didn't have it you had to trade what you did have for that item. That could be a fairly long and torturous process and so coinage came into play that meant this wasn't necessary any longer.
Ancient coins first used for paying mercenaries
It is suspected, however, that the ancient gold coins the Lydians created weren't invented predominantly to use for trade and instead they were used to pay mercenaries used during difficult times. The Lydians were not a particularly powerful nation and were around in times when the Greeks and the Persians were at their strongest. By using gold coins instead of handing out huge packages of food and drink the king would be able to give them the coins.
The rise of ancient coins
As innovative ideas often do, the idea of coinage spread very quickly and easily outlasted the Lydians themselves, despite amassing a feared cavalry. Soon the idea of issuing smaller coinage of a uniform weight bearing a stamped seal on it became popular throughout the trading world. The Greeks, Romans and Arabs very quickly adopted the use of these ancient coins in order to improve their methods of trade. As the idea of coins aged certain things began to change. The coins became much smaller and manageable than the traditional ancient coins of the Lydians and the stamps became more and more ornate and personal to each nation. The Greeks were particularly keen on portraying their gods on their coins whereas the Romans opted for emperors and the Arabs for scripture from the Koran (engraved images were not allowed).
Gold standard
The Lydians were not only responsible for the introduction of ancient coins into the marketplace but they were responsible for the standardizing of gold to such an extent that all coins produced could be trusted as being of equal value. They invented a refining process that probably lasted for many days but produced gold of a surprisingly high standard. Previously this hadn't been necessary because gold had only been used for creating jewelry and showing off wealth. This gold standard was used for nearly two thousand years after they had discovered it and while the techniques may seem aged now, they are the predecessors to our own methods. Without the Lydians refinery process involving fires and cooking pots we wouldn't have our own refineries or our own refining methods now.
Such a lot of work in such a short history
The Lydians only survived approximately a hundred years but virtually any form of store, marketplace or money can be traced right back to them. In that hundred years they did as much for modern civilization as most modern civilizations have done in thousands of years. The next time you are using Ebay, shopping online or hading a few coins over the counter at your local superstore remember that if it weren't for the Lydians nearly three thousand years ago it may not have been possible.
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