The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 39, September 26, 2004, Article 16

FIRST COIN STILL A MATTER OF DEBATE

  Regarding David Klinger's question about the first coins,
  Reid Goldsborough writes: "The question of the world's first
  coin, long debated, is still very much under debate, with many
  scholars joining in. In trying to answer the  question, much
  depends on the definition you use for "coin." All coins are
  money (doesn't include exonumia) but not all money is in the
  form of  coinage. Few numismatists would classify the flat
  roll of uninscribed bronze bullion at the Numismatic Museum
  in Athens, described in last week's E-Sylum, as a coin. Much
  also depends on how you interpret the archeological evidence
  or whose interpretation of the archeological evidence you
  believe. And much depends on how definitive you feel the
  evidence needs to be before you put forth or accept any
  given theory. I  covered this debate, and argued for the
  Lydian Lion as the world's first coin, in recent articles for
  The Numismatist and The Journal of the Classical and
  Medieval Numismatic Society. I've also put together an
  expanded version of these articles at this Web page: Consolidated Articles "

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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