The Birth of Money

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2024

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Gold has shaped human history for several millennia. But how and when did it first turn into currency? And what can it tell us about the birth of money?

In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes delves into the origins of money with TV producer, author and professor Alan Ereira. Together, they reveal the intertwined origins of commerce, trade, and coinage and journey through the history of ancient money - from the earliest use of gold by the Varna Culture 6,000 years ago, through to King Croesus's revolutionary minting of pure gold coins in Lydia and the first ever financial crash.

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatians, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:19.3	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
0:28.6	It's The Ancense on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host. In today's episode, we are
0:39.5	exploring the story of the earliest coins ever minted, the birth of money. It's a topic that takes
0:46.3	us back over 2,500 years, to what is today Western Turkey and the ancient kingdom of Lydia,
0:53.9	home to the wealthy trading city of Sardis
0:56.1	and famously rich kings such as Cresus, the man from whom we have the saying, rich as Cresus.
1:03.5	Now our guest today is the TV producer, author and professor Alan Arara. Alan, he has recently
1:09.4	written this extraordinary new book all about gold and how this
1:13.1	precious resource has shaped human history. Now, one key part of Alan's book, it explores the
1:18.7	invention of money, of coinage, and how intertwined this story is with changing human attitudes
1:25.6	towards gold. Alan, he is a wonderful storyteller.
1:29.3	We cover everything from the earliest known use of gold over 6,000 years ago
1:33.5	with the Varna culture in present-day Bulgaria
1:36.0	to the first financial crash in history.
1:39.9	Lots of great information about gold and early money coming your way.
1:43.8	I hope you enjoy.
1:48.5	Alan, it is wonderful to have you on the podcast today.
1:52.2	Well, it's wonderful to be here, really is.
1:54.2	We're talking all about the birth of money today, and the use of gold thousands of years ago,
1:59.1	and the story of the first coinage, early money,
	...

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