If you are a rare coin drug addict like us, you ’ ll sleep together this spot of late news : a 2,750-year-old gold coin has been discovered near Bulgaria ’ s Black Sea coast and is believed to be the world ’ sulfur oldest aureate mint .
The bulgarian new representation BTA reported the newsworthiness on September 9, recounting the noteworthy history of how a aqualung diver by chance discovered the rare witness. The loon was swimming in the shallow waters near the resort township of Sozòpol in Eastern Bulgaria, when by chance he noticed the glitter of the mint .
After bringing it to shore, the diver reportedly passed it along to the head of the National History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria ’ s capital and largest city, where a numismatist confirmed the age and specifications of the coin.
The coin is apparently not solid gold, but made of electrum—a naturally occurring debase of gold and silver, used to mint some of the oldest coins in human history. It is believed that this especial mint was minted in the ancient kingdom of Lydia in nearby Anatolia, sometime in the second half of the seventh century B.C.E .
Sozòpol is an ancient seaside frontier settlement of the Greek city state of Miletus, with the inaugural settlements dating back to the Bronze Age. Most imperial coins from that era in universe today begin around the fourthly century BC and continue up until the foremost half of the third gear century AD – however, as the National History Museum notes, this newly uncovered coin is the first of its kind found in Bulgaria. ”
The coin weighs 0.63 grams and has a denomination of 1/24 of a stater .
Determining the World’s Oldest Coin
Distinguishing the earth ’ randomness oldest mint is no easy tax, and the serve is heatedly debated by scholars around the ball. For starters, much depends on different interpretations of the definition of the give voice “ coin ” —all coins are money but not all money is neologism .
then, rendition of archaeological and numismatic tell must be taken into account .
And last, how much tell you feel is necessity before accepting a finical hypothesis plays a bombastic part in what mint you might consider “ oldest. ”
Read more: Charlotte Mint – Wikipedia
It is, however, widely-accepted that lydian coins are among the populace ’ s most antique, being a state in stopping point proximity to both the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations and Greek colonies—two of the oldest and gain human civilizations known to scholars .
undoubtedly, more information about this agitate witness in Bulgaria will surface ( just as the coin did ) in the come months as experts around the world get a peek at the universe ’ second oldest coin .
Be sure to check out the provident Metals online shop to enlarge your mint collection with these beautiful and rare aureate and silver coins .
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