Mint (money) facts for kids
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A mint is an industrial facility which makes coins that can be used in currency.
In coin collecting, the term "mint condition" means the coin has never been used ("in circulation"), just like it came out of the mint where it was made.
The earliest metallic money did not consist of coins, but of unminted metal in the form of rings and other ornaments or of weapons. These were used for thousands of years by the Egyptian, Chaldean and Assyrian empires.
The first mint was perhaps in Lydia in the 7th century BC, for coining gold, silver and electrum. The Lydian innovation spread to neighboring Greece, where several city-states operated their own mints. Some of the earliest Greek mints were in city-states on Greek islands such as Crete. A mint existed at the ancient city of Cydonia on Crete at least as early as the fifth century BC.
Images for kids
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Boulton 1790 Anglesey halfpenny; the first coin struck by steam power in a collar to assure roundness
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A 19th-century coining press
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The old San Francisco Mint, built in 1874.
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A furnace for producing molten metal for coin production.
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A trussell for use with a pile in producing hammered coins as shown by the moneyer at work.
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A mill for the production of 'milled' coins with both coin dies illustrated.
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A mill for inscribing or milling the edges of coin flans or planchets.
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Roman Denarius issued by T. Carisius (46BCE) showing the moneyer's die, anvil, hammer and tongs
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See also
In Spanish: Casa de moneda para niños
