From the start of 600 BC, every Greek city started to mint all of its own types of coins. Now, most of the ancient Greek coins were made of silver. A small little lump of silver was taken, this is put on a mold which was made of iron and then it was struck with a hammer repeatedly. The hammer had a different mold on it too.

Ancient Greek Coins

Since there was a mold on the hammer and the iron mold, you could see two different pictures getting molded on two different sides at the same time.

Now, the pictures which were present on the different coins were actually different and they would differ according to the state in which one lived. If you were an Athenian then the coin would probably have a picture of the owl of Athena. The coin would also have the words ATHE in Greek letters.

Ancient Greek Coins Facts

If you were from Corinth, then you would have a coin which had the picture of Pegasus, which was a flying horse. Now the small coins used to be called obolus. if someone had the job of unloading the boats or of digging ditches then, they would probably get around 2 oboloi a day. There were coins which had more value than the rest too. Just like the mechanism we follow with the coins these days.

Now, the different divisions of the ancient Greek coins were as talents, minas, oboes, and drachmas. One talent would cost you 60 mines, one mina would take you 100 drachmas, 1 stated would get you 2 drachmas and finally one drachma would earn you 6 obolus.

Ancient Greek Coins: History

Around the mid 5th Century, BC, a salaried military class, a salaried government class workers and the parliamentary pay was also introduced. The mayor would get around 1 drachma, the judge would get 3 oboloi and finally if you were a member of the parliament, then you would land up getting around 1 drachma too.

So according to your position the ancient Greek coins would be distributed among the people of ancient Greece and according to the city the coin would be made.