Crystal A. asks: What are coins around the world made from?
Money was suppose to be a convenience. Instead of carrying around a pig or a cow for trade, coins would substitute for those valuable entities. In order for coins to be accepted they had to be made from some material that everybody agreed was valuable. Gold fit the bill since it was virtually chemically inert, didn’t rust and was rare.
Just like now, in ancient times gold was very expensive, so subsidiary, that is, cheaper materials were needed to make lower denominations so one could make “change”. Silver and copper fit quite nicely. Today, everyday coins are made from base metals and are essentially tokens. The value that was so important in a gold coin as been transferred to something else. Electrons in a bank account, stocks in companies that make things or supply services are the 21st century’s money.
