Numismatics: a journey through history through coins.
Numismatics is the discipline that studies coins from a historical, artistic and economic perspective. Coins are not just a means of exchange, but authentic witnesses to the history of civilisations, the evolution of thought and human progress. Every coin tells a story about an era, a power, a faith, an idea.
The origin of coins dates back to the 7th century BC, but their birth was the result of a gradual process. Before coins, trade was carried out through bartering, until precious metals such as gold and silver – prized for their rarity, durability and intrinsic value – began to be used as a means of exchange.
As early as 4000 BC, the Sumerians had established a fixed ratio between gold and silver, which remained in force for centuries. The metals, initially used by weight and cut into fragments, were often administered in temples by priests, emphasising the strong link between economics and religion.
The first true form of minted coinage appeared in Lydia in the 7th-6th century BC under King Croesus: small metal discs bearing the royal seal, guaranteed by the state. This system spread rapidly throughout the Greek and Mediterranean world, contributing to the birth of cities and the development of more complex economies. Coins lost their sacred aura and became everyday objects, capable of unifying and bringing together different worlds.
Studying coins therefore means reading history directly: the images, inscriptions and symbols engraved on them provide us with valuable information about the civilisations that produced them. The Vatican City State issues its own coins in euros thanks to agreements with Italy and the European Union. Vatican coins bear the effigy or coat of arms of the Holy Father on the obverse, symbols of the issuing authority, and on the reverse the image common to all eurozone countries or, in the case of commemorative coins, alongside the face value, special representations related to the theme of the coin itself.