About 650 B.C.E.
- First Greek coins are struck, in the western part of Asia Minor. [474.166]
460 BCE (approximately)
- Persians begin using human portraits on coins. [388.94]
January 44 BCE
- Roman Republic emperor Julius Caesar has his portrait used on coins struck at the mint in Rome. [388.96]
1252
-
- Florence begins coining gold florins. [309.xiv]
1257
-
- England first mints gold penny coins, 45 grains weight, worth 20 pence. [309.xiv]
1284
- October 31
- The Venetian Council of Forty approves the gold ducat, the origin of the ducat coin. [390.29]
1344
- January
- England first mints the gold florin, 108 grains weight, valued at 6 shillings. Also minted are 1/2 and 1/4 florin gold coins. [309.xiv]
- (month unknown)
- England first mints the gold noble coin, 136.7 grains weight, valued at 6 shillings 8 pence. Also minted are 1/2 and 1/4 florin gold coins. [309.xiv]
1365
- January 10
- Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV assigns gold and silver mines and rights of coinage to princes and electors of the empire. [470.32]
1366
- June 12
- Children at Touvres, France, discover a hoard of about 4 million coins. [434.46]
1465
-
- England replaces the gold noble coin with the gold angel, 80 grains weight, worth 6 shillings 8 pence, and the ryal, worth 10 shillings. Also minted are 1/2 and 1/4 denominations. [309.1]
1489
- October 28
- In England, King Henry VII orders the mint to begin coining gold bullion in new coin called a sovereign, 240 grains weight, 23 carats + 3.5 grains, valued at 20 shillings. [309.2]
1536
-
- The Mexico City Mint, first mint to produce coins in the New World, begins striking silver coins. [434.126]
1542
- May 16
- In England, the sovereign coin is reduced in weight to 200 grains, with fineness at 23 carats gold, 1 carat alloy. Coins are minted but stored by the King for later release. [309.7]
1544
- May 16
- In England, about 70,000 pounds sterling of new reduced-weight gold sovereigns are officially released to circulation. [309.7]
1545
- March 27
- In England, the sovereign coin is further reduced in weight to 192 grains, and reduced in fineness to 22 carats gold. [309.8]
1546
- April 1
- In England, the sovereign coin is further reduced in fineness to 20 carats gold. [309.9]
1549
- January
- In England, the sovereign coin is further reduced in weight to 169 7/17 grains, but increased in fineness back to 22 carats gold. [309.11]
1551
- October 5
- In England, the Tower Mint is instructed to mint two types of sovereign coins. One is 240 grains weight, 23 carats + 3.5 grains fine gold, valued at 30 shillings. The other is 174 6/11 grains weight, 22 carats gold valued at 20 shillings. [309.12]
1575
- May 31
- French King Henri III creates new silver coin of 20 sols tournois, the "franc d'argent". [428.42]
1601
- July 29
- In England, the gold sovereign is reduced to 171 63/67 grains weight. [309.20]
1603
- May 21
- Gold sovereigns of Kingdoms of England and Scotland are minted, with 171 63/67 grains weight, and valued at 20 shillings. [309.21]
1604
- November 11
- In England and Scotland, a new name for the gold sovereign is created, the "unite", struck in 22-karat gold, with weight 154 26/31 grains. [309.21]
1605
- July 16
- In England and Scotland, a new name for the 30-shilling gold sovereign is created, the "rose ryal", struck in 23-karat + 3.5 grain gold, with weight 213 1/3 grains. [309.22]
1611
- November 23
- In England and Scotland, a proclamation is made to increase the nominal value of all gold coins by 10 percent. The unite is now valued at 22 shillings, and the rose ryal at 33 shillings. [309.23]
1619
- July 31
- In England and Scotland, the gold unite coin is changed to 20 shillings value, 140 20/41 grains weight, 22 carats fineness. The rose ryal is revalued at 30 shillings, 196 4/11 grains weight, 23 carat + 3.5 grains fineness. [309.25]
1626
- August 14
- In England, gold and silver coins are minted in reduced weight for a few weeks, then cancelled. [309.28]
- November 8
- In England, minting of coin resumes at weight specifications prior to August 14, with gold angel coins valued at 10 shillings, and unite coins at 20 shillings. [309.29]
1642
- December 23
- King Philip IV of Spain decrees a 20 percent debasement of silver coins to pay for military expeditions. [464.44]
1649
- July 27
- English mint begins striking new gold coins of the Commonwealth of England. The 20 shilling coin is 140 20/41 grains weight, 22-karat fineness. [309.41]
1652
- May 27
- Massachusetts colony's General Court issues an edict authorizing production of silver coins, in denominations 1 shilling, sixpence, and threepence. [413.88]
1660
- November
- In England, new gold coins are struck depicting King Charles II. The 20 shilling coin is 140 20/41 grains weight, 22-karat fineness. [309.45]
1662
- March
- English gold coins are first made by screw press, about 3360 pieces of 20-shilling gold unite coins. [309.48]
1663
- February 6
- The first English gold guinea is coined. [476.72]
- December
- In England, gold coins are first regularly struck by machine press. The 20-shilling piece is 129 39/89 grains, 22-karat fine, with a little elephant in the design to denote origin of the gold in Africa. These coins become known as the "guinea". [309.49]
1670
- February 19
- A French royal edict proclaims 2-, 5-, and 15-sol coins struck at the Paris Mint are authorized to circulate in New France. [479.28]
1672
- August 1
- King Charles II demonetizes copper tokens and announces copper farthings and halfpence will be minted. [459.64]
1675
- February 25
- King Charles II of Spain grants authority for the Mexico City Mint to strike gold coins. [434.126]
1679
- December 23
- The Mexico City Mint begins striking first gold coins of the New World. [434.126]
1694
- April 17
- A British Act stops production of tin coins, and sets exchange for new copper coins. [400.56] [487.34]
1696
- May 4
- Hammered silver coins in England are officially demonetized. [492.32]
1699
- December 25
- Isaac Newton transfers from being warden to master of the Royal Mint. [464.44]
1710
- August 4
- Edinburgh Mint in Scotland closes. [465.62]
1711
- October 7
- British frigate HMS Feversham sinks off Nova Scotia with coinage worth 2240 pounds sterling. [442.91]
1717
- December 22
- English Proclamation reduces value of guinea gold coin from 21 shillings 6 pence to 21 shillings, fixing the coin's value at that, and officially recognizing the name "guinea". [309.64]
1720
- June 1
- London restores 0.925 fine silver as sterling standard, after 23 years of the Britannia 0.958 standard. [428.42]
1722
- June 16
- King George I authorizes William Wood to produce up to 360 tons of halfpence and farthing coins for Ireland over the next 14 years. [414.56] [439.38]
1733
- February 21
- English Proclamation forbids circulation of gold coins of James I, Charles I, and Charles II, due to their worn and reduced condition. [309.66]
1785
- July 6
- The dollar (and decimal coinage) is unanimously chosen by the Continental Congress as the monetary unit for the United States. the US is the first nation to adopt decimal money system. [1] [5] [417.56] [450.46]
- October 20
- The Connecticut General Court authorizes coining up to 10,000 pounds of copper coins with an emblem of Liberty. [445.60]
1786
- August 8
- The American Continental Congress defines a silver dollar containing 375.64 grains of silver as the nation's unit of account. [388.188] [427.67]
- October 17
- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorizes a mint for striking gold, silver, and copper coinage. [450.70]
1788
- December 24
- King Charles IV of Spain issues an edit allowing colonial mints in the Americas to continue using coinage dies bearing portrait of Charles III, but changing name to Charles IV, due to difficulties in producing and transporting dies to the New World. [464.44]
1792
- April 2
- US President George Washington signs the Coinage Act, establishing the US Mint, and authorizes $10 Eagle, $5 half-Eagle and $2.50 quarter-Eagle gold coins and dollar, half dollar, quarter dollar, dime and half-dime silver coins. Coins of gold and silver are legal tender, but base metal coins, such as copper, are not. [1] [5] [303.69] [397.52] [474.160] [485.38]
1795
- April 26
- The French Convention annuls a decree forbidding trading in gold and silver. [401.36]
- August 15
- French Convention creates new monetary unit, the "franc". [430.68] [474.30]
1797
- February 26
- British Order in Council directs Bank of England to suspend cash payments until further notice. The bank issues its first one pound notes. [1] [309.73]
- June 19
- The Soho Mint in England begins minting copper coins. [414.56]
- July 26
- The Soho Mint in Birmingham makes its first delivery of government-authorized pence and twopence copper coins for circulation in England. [495.94]
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