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The Lydian stater around 600 BC was the first true coin, stamped with a guarantee of weight and purity. Before coins, people used barter, cattle, and ...
The Most Expensive Coins Ever AuctionedThe 1933 Double Eagle sold for 18.9 million dollars in 2021, the highest price ever. The Flowing Hair Silver Dollar of 1794 sold for 10 million. The E...
Dead Currencies: Money That Became WorthlessThe Confederate dollar died with the South in 1865. The German mark was killed by hyperinflation in 1923. The Soviet ruble vanished in 1991. The Itali...
The Real Story Behind Pieces of Eight and Pirate TreasureThe Spanish piece of eight was the first truly global currency, minted from silver mined by enslaved people in Mexico and Peru. Pirates coveted these ...
From Bitcoin to CBDCs: The Digital Future of CurrencyBitcoin introduced decentralized money in 2009, challenging the nation state monopoly on currency. Over 20,000 cryptocurrencies now exist. Central ban...
The Rise and Fall of the Gold StandardFor centuries, gold backed the worlds currencies. Britain adopted a de facto gold standard in 1717 when Isaac Newton set the gold price too low, causi...
How Polymer Banknotes Changed Currency ForeverAustralia introduced the first polymer banknote in 1988, a Bicentennial ten dollar note. Polymer is more durable, harder to counterfeit, and recyclabl...
Civil War Tokens: When Americans Made Their Own MoneyDuring the Civil War, Americans hoarded gold, silver, and copper coins. By 1862, small change disappeared. Merchants issued their own copper tokens, a...
Greatest Coin Hoards Ever DiscoveredThe Saddle Ridge Hoard of 2013 yielded 1,427 gold coins buried in California, worth 10 million dollars. The Frome Hoard in England contained 52,503 Ro...
The Most Notorious Counterfeiters in HistoryFrank Bourassa counterfeited 250 million in US bills before being caught in 2012. The British forged Continental currency to destabilize the American ...
The History of the United States MintFounded in 1792 in Philadelphia, then the capital. The first coins were struck from silver deposited by citizens. David Rittenhouse was the first Dire...