Earliest Gold Coin

[Blob]

It has been thought that the first gold coins were minted by the Lydian king Croesus in about 560 BC, and the first silver coins minted by king Pheidon of Argos in about 700 BC.
However, an exciting archaeological find could mark a "new page in history".

According to Vladimir Ploskikh the leader of an archaeological expedition in Kyrgyzstan, possibly the world's most ancient gold coin has been discovered on the northern shore of Issuk-Kul, a high mountain lake.

"This is probably the earliest form of metal money found in Central Asia, and may have served as an archetype for later gold coins. If this is confirmed, the find will have a unique worldwide historical and cultural significance as a prototype for gold money" - Vladimir Ploskikh.

The expedition from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University found the 70-gram octagonal gold artefact along with bronze daggers, sickles and hatchets, as well as household implements and jewellery dating back to approximately 1,000 BC.

The expedition, inspired by old legends, was looking for the burial site of Saint Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, whose relics were said to have been kept in a middle age Christian monastery on the shore of the Lake.
The Great Silk trade route passes near to the site.

Latitude 42°43'29.08"N Longitude 77°35'49.44"E

See also

[AstroSmurf]

Interesting. Too bad there wasn't more detail - I'd be interested in whether the coins are locally minted or from, say, China.

[Blob]

Hum,
it is possible that there was an ancient route way there long before the silk road was established (reckoned to be around 500BC), and that the idea of coinage originated in China.

But, it is also possible that it was just a serendipitous find at an ancient and favourable location, that also had a 14th century monastery set up to exploit a more recent Silk trade route, (ie the route was created and went there because of the wealth there, and the idea of coinage originated there).

[sarongsong]

Earliest Gold Coin in China?

[PhantomWolf]

Just as long as it isn't stamped with the date "1000 BC"

[Nicolas]

the northern shore of Issuk-Kul

It wouldn't surrise me if this was one coin to rule them all...

[Ozzy]

Issyk-Kul is the second largest high altitude mountain lake in the world (lake titicaca is numero uno).

The northern side were the artifact was found must be nice as the Russians built resorts there.

Digs are happening in the shallow waters around the edge of the lake. There are rumoured to be four towns drowned in the lake. Hmmm subsidence possibly?

[Ozzy]

http://www.maplandia.com/kyrgyzstan/issyk-kul/

Here's a map. The Lake is visible as dark blue in the north eastern part of Krygyzstan.

[danscope]

Just as long as it isn't stamped with the date "1000 BC"

" If it has a bar code on it....... it probably isn't an antique." Dan