Images

An illuminated text of the Buddhist Lotus sutra. Goryeo period (918-1392 CE). Gwangdeoksa temple in Chenan, Korea.

In early Anglo-Saxon England, the highest status men were buried with unique and luxurious items, like this gold finger-ring set with an engraved Roman gem (intaglio). The gem itself dates back to around the 1st century CE while the ring...

Some Greek cities used images for their names, so "readers" did not have to be literate. In Rhodes, a rose (rhodon) was used. Silver tetradrachm coin, circa 400-380 BCE. From Rhodes, Greece. (The British Museum, London).

During the Warring States period, some States issued round coins with a round or squared hole in the middle. The inscription usually indicates the weight or value. 6. Coin with weight in jin, Wei State. 7. Coin with value in huo, Qi State...

When Qin Shihuang (the First Emperor) unified the Warring States in 221 BCE, he standardized the coinage. He made the banliang (half-ounce) coin of the Qin State standard throughout the Empire, and declared all other coins obsolete. The round...

Knife money of the Warring States period retained some features of the real tools, including the ring and the strengethening ridges on the handle. The States in the north and north-east issued knife money. 1. Zhao State, circa 500 BCE...

In the Late Roman Period, precious metal that had been paid in tax was melted down into bars before being re-minted, to eliminate plated forgeries. Because local mint officials could be corrupt, the bars were stamped with the names of the...

This silver tetradrachm coin belonged to Seleucos I. It depicts a striding elephant. Reign of Seleucos I Nicator, 305-281 BCE. Minted in modern-day Iran. Donated by Richard Payne Knight. (The British Museum, London).

This is a silver tetradrachm coin. Reign of Seleucos I Nicator, 305-281 BCE. From Seleucid Syria. Donated by the Bank of England. (The British Museum, London).

This tablet records the exact coins required for transaction in Babylon. Because coins could circulate for many years, freshly minted coins were less worn and had a better silver weight. The tablet specifies the "staters of Seleucus with...