Abstract
In the Mediterranean and Near Eastern world, the transition from monetary instruments to coins took place around 600 BC. By " monetary instrument ", we mean any object that could have been used to measure the value of goods and enable exchanges : shell, grain of wheat, piece of cattle, tripod, metal ingot. By " currency ", we mean a piece of metal whose value is guaranteed by the issuing state, this currency being minted in thousands of identical, perfectly interchangeable copies. How can we explain the invention of the coin?
