World’s oldest coin factory found in China
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Oldest coin factory (mint)
A 2800-year-old bronze foundry was recently discovered in the Henan province of China. A foundry is a place where metal or glass is melted and shaped into objects.
The coin mint found at the ancient foundry is said to be 2600 years old. The clay moulds for the coins at the foundry are roughly uniform. Its mass production indicates that it is the world’s oldest standardized metal currency. This means it is the oldest coin mint or coin factory in the world, discovered till now.
At the site, researchers found two spade coins (named so for their similarity to the gardening tool). One of them was in near-perfect condition, measuring about 6 inches long and about 2.5 inches wide.
The ancient foundry
This ancient bronze foundry was established in 800 BC and it is located near the Yellow River in Guanzhuang. Archaeologists say that the foundry started producing ritual vessels, tools and weapons in 770 BC. Along with these vessels and tools, archaeologists have discovered coins and clay moulds.
Also, the radiocarbon dating of the artefacts found at the foundry revealed that the minting of the coins began between 640 to 550 BC.
What is radiocarbon dating?
Radiocarbon dating is a method for determining the age of an object(which contains organic material) by using its radiocarbon properties.
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