Iberian numismatics and the first coins

Coins were invented in the Greek coast of Asia Minor around 625 B.C. Between the fifth and third centuries B.C., merchants, sailors and mercenaries brought some minted pieces from the Greek cities of the western Mediterranean, but this new form of money only became common from the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.) onwards, when Carthaginians and Romans circulated millions of coins to finance their troops. That money supply included peninsular emissions (Hispano-Carthaginian, from Emporium and Iberian) and imported emissions (Greek, Punic, Roman and Celtic), the vast majority of which were made of silver and valued for their metal content.
Both imported coins and emissions of the four valencian-Iberian-mints (Arse-Saguntum -Sagunto-, Saiti –Xativa-, Kelin -Los Villares- and Kili) are shown. Alongside them, other peninsular mints and Roman coins used in Republican era are presented. Finally, the treasure of Los Villares (Caudete) is shown, a small accumulation of wealth that includes coins together with pieces of gold and silver jewelry.


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