--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gold and Silver have been the predominant…" description: "\"Gold and Silver have been the predominant currency for 4,500 years, but they became money in Lydia, in about 680 B.C. When they were minted into coins ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/michael-maloney-46108_appearance_gold-and-silver-have-been-the-predominan_1443159.jpg" --- # Gold and Silver have been the predominant currency for… ![“Gold and Silver have been the predominant currency for 4,500 years, but they became money in Lydia, in about 680 B.C. When they were minted into coins of equal weight in order to make trade easier and smoother. But it was when coinage first made its appearance in Athens that it truly flourished.” quote by Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/michael-maloney-46108_appearance_gold-and-silver-have-been-the-predominan_1443159.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/michael-maloney-46108_appearance_gold-and-silver-have-been-the-predominan_1443159.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/michael-maloney-46108_appearance_gold-and-silver-have-been-the-predominan_1443159.jpg) > “Gold and Silver have been the predominant currency for 4,500 years, but they became money in Lydia, in about 680 B.C. When they were minted into coins of equal weight in order to make trade easier and smoother. But it was when coinage first made its appearance in Athens that it truly flourished.” [Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coinage began in Lydia (~680 BC) and flourished in Athens, making trade easier. **In simple terms:** Coins started in Lydia, flourished in Athens. Key Takeaway Use money wisely. Themes history economics currency trade Mood educational historical Type informative inspirational When to use this quote - historical education - financial literacy - museum tours Key Concepts ancient economies monetary systems Questions to Reflect On - How did coinage change ancient societies? - What lessons does ancient currency teach today? A Different Perspective Ancient coinage differs from modern money. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athens/) [Currency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currency/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Gold and silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-and-silver/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [All metallics are neutrals. So it is absolutely fine to mix gold and silver; you just want it to look like it has purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-london/all-metallics-are-neutrals-so-it-is-absolutely-fine-to-mix-gold-and/) [Stacy London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-london/) > [Remember, gold and silver always have had value and never have gone to zero. Can you say the same for stocks and bonds?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/remember-gold-and-silver-always-have-had-value-and-never-have-gone-to/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [Gold and silver are but merchandise, as well as cloth or linen; and that nation that buys the least, and sells the most, must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/gold-and-silver-are-but-merchandise-as-well-as-cloth-or-linen-and/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [No lower can a man descend than to interpret his dreams into gold and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-lower-can-a-man-descend-than-to-interpret-his-dreams-into-gold-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It has therefore been justly observed that however honestly the coin of a country may conform to its standard, money made of gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-has-therefore-been-justly-observed-that-however-honestly-the-coin/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [I want to just obey the Constitution.The Constitution says only gold and silver can be legal tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-want-to-just-obey-the-constitution-the-constitution-says-only-gold/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [If I have cash and I can't figure a way to put it into real estate or my business, I hold it in gold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-i-have-cash-and-i-can-t-figure-a-way-to-put-it-into-real-estate-or/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Gold and silver and sunshine is rising up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/gold-and-silver-and-sunshine-is-rising-up/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [Titles of honour are like the impressions on coin; — which add no value to gold and silver, but only render brass current.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/titles-of-honour-are-like-the-impressions-on-coin-which-add-no-value/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [Everything within a half-a-minute or a half-an-inch is gold, silver, bronze or nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/everything-within-a-half-a-minute-or-a-half-an-inch-is-gold-silver/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Gold and silver are constituted, by the nature of things, money, and universal money, independent of all convention, and of all laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-robert-jacques-turgot-baron-de-laune/gold-and-silver-are-constituted-by-the-nature-of-things-money-and/) [Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-robert-jacques-turgot-baron-de-laune/) > [Gold and silver from the dead turn often into lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/gold-and-silver-from-the-dead-turn-often-into-lead/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [It is important to realize that gold and silver are international commodities and that, therefore, when not prohibited by government decree, foreign coins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/it-is-important-to-realize-that-gold-and-silver-are-international/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [Bell, book and candle shall not drive me back, When gold and silver becks me to come on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/bell-book-and-candle-shall-not-drive-me-back-when-gold-and-silver/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/since-i-leave-now-all-gold-and-silver-and-go-where-it-is-of-little/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) ## More by Michael Maloney > [The easiest way to buy silver was to take a paper dollar to the bank and ask for change. So much coinage was disappearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-maloney/the-easiest-way-to-buy-silver-was-to-take-a-paper-dollar-to-the-bank/) [Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/) > [There are basically two kinds of tax, the kind the masses can see, and the kind they can't. The inflation tax is of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-maloney/there-are-basically-two-kinds-of-tax-the-kind-the-masses-can-see-and/) [Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/) > [It's not what the price of gold is that matters, but rather how much stuff it will buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-maloney/it-s-not-what-the-price-of-gold-is-that-matters-but-rather-how-much/) [Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/) > [Ever since the Federal reserve was born, (in 1913) we have been living under a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-maloney/ever-since-the-federal-reserve-was-born-in-1913-we-have-been-living/) [Michael Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-maloney/) > [If you jump into a market when everyone else is doing the same thing, you're probably too late. 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