Minting

Gold and silver have been used as currency and in other ways for thousands of years. The use of gold and silver as currency began in 600 BC with the Lydian coins. Some other civilizations that used gold and silver as currency include Ancient Egypt, Persia, and Rome.

The process of making coins is called minting. Governments created mints to make gold and silver coins for trade and commerce. Gold and silver were chosen for coinage because they were durable, portable, and had a limited supply. They were also difficult to counterfeit and had intrinsic value.