The history of coinage extends to ancient times. Ephesus' temple of Artemis provides evidence of the earliest coins known from the ancient world and it is thought that this series of coinage date back to the 8th century BC. Emanating from this time a rich and diverse coinage was prodominately created using two types of minting processes, initially hammered and later milled production. Two millennia of nations producing coins tells of a fascinating story of the characters who sort them to be created. More often than not, their effigy was captured on the coins creating a miniature portrait with which, they would be forever immortalised.
The hobby of coin collecting offers the opportunity to research the person on the coin and unlock the fascinating history behind the nations that produced them.