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When were coins first used as money?

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The use of metal for money can be traced back to Babylon, prior to 2000 BCE. Standardization and certification in the form of coinage did not occur except perhaps in isolated instances until the 7th century BCE. Historians generally ascribe the first use of coined money to Croesus, king of Lydia, a state in Anatolia.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "When were coins first used as money?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/question/When-were-coins-first-used-as-money. Accessed 22 May 2025.
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