</p><br/><p>The Greeks pioneered one of humanity’s first highly refined coin production systems<br/></p><br/><p>Greek coins differed radically from industrial minting—they were entirely hand-forged through the hammering process<br/></p><br/><p>Artisans started with a precisely measured metal blank—often silver or gold, but sometimes bronze or electrum, varying by city-state and period<br/></p><br/><p>The metal was carefully weighed and then heated to make it more malleable<br/></p><br/><p>After cooling, the blank was positioned between two carved dies: one for the front, the other for the back<br/></p><br/><p>The obverse die, often depicting a deity, hero, or civic symbol, was fixed into an anvil<br/></p><br/><p>The reverse die,  <a href="http://local315npmhu.com/wiki/index.php/MS62_Coin_Grade_Explained:_What_It_Actually_Signifies">アンティーク コイン</a> usually bearing a simpler design like an animal, plant, or emblem of the issuing city, was held by the mint worker<br/></p><br/><p>With a single, powerful strike of a heavy hammer, the design was transferred onto both sides of the coin simultaneously<br/></p><br/><p>The immense pressure transformed the blank into a vivid artifact, capturing the spiritual and civic ideals of its origin<br/></p><br/><p>Every coin bore subtle differences due to its handmade nature<br/></p><br/><p>Differences in die alignment, strike pressure, and die wear endowed each piece with individuality<br/></p><br/><p>Flaws were celebrated as proof of artisanal craftsmanship, not as failures<br/></p><br/><p>The dies themselves were carved with remarkable precision by skilled artisans, often using chisels and files on hardened steel or bronze<br/></p><br/><p>Some dies lasted for thousands of strikes before showing significant wear, while others were replaced more frequently due to damage or evolving iconography<br/></p><br/><p>Greek minters implemented rigorous standards to ensure consistency and trust<br/></p><br/><p>Weights were standardized across regions, and mint officials inspected coins for proper weight and purity<br/></p><br/><p>Counterfeiters faced extreme punishments, ranging from heavy fines to capital penalties<br/></p><br/><p>The use of high purity silver, especially in Athens, helped establish trust in their coinage across the Mediterranean<br/></p><br/><p>The Athenian owl tetradrachm became one of the most widely accepted currencies in the ancient world, admired for its consistent weight and iconic design<br/></p><br/><p>Greek minting methods advanced significantly across centuries<br/></p><br/><p>During the Hellenistic era, larger denominations emerged thanks to stronger presses and refined engraving technology<br/></p><br/><p>Innovative mints combined several dies to craft elaborate mythological or civic scenes, pushing artistic boundaries further than ever before<br/></p><br/><p>Even as technology improved, the core hammer-strike method endured until Romans introduced mechanized minting<br/></p><br/><p>The legacy of Greek coinage extends beyond its economic function<br/></p><br/><p>They functioned as portable symbols of polis identity, religious reverence, and civic unity<br/></p><br/><p>They circulated far beyond their places of origin, carrying with them the stories and symbols of the Greek world<br/></p><br/><p>Modern scholars tr

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