In the beginning, coins were like a stamp or hallmark that was put on a piece of metal to guarantee its quality or weight. According to Sennacherib, King of Assyria (705-681 B.C.), "1 built a form of clay and poured the bronze into it as in making half-shekel pieces," the earliest evidence of coinage can be found in the eastern Mediterranean region. Electrum, a natural alloy made up of about...