It goes all the back to Alexander the Great.
As far back as around 600 to 500 B.C., cities and traders began to use metal bits with stamped inscriptions for trade, former Albuquerque Coin Club President Phil Vitale told station KRQE.
Alexander the Great standardized coinage as he conquered kingdoms throughout the "known world," Vitale told the station.
The coins were made by hammering a piece of metal between two engraved blanks, Vitale said.
The Albuquerque Coin Club, founded in 1953, is the largest coin club in the area, the station reported. It has more than 180 members and two coin shows a year, one in April and the other in November, the story said. It also has has a member trade fair each year and educational workshops for members annually.
"The mission of the Albuquerque Coin Club is to promote interest in numismatics through education of our members," the club said on its website. "We encourage members to conduct research on history and geography as it relates to numismatics, and provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information as well as fellowship. We encourage young members to develop greater interest in history and geography through numismatics."
Membership is open to anyone interested, the club said.
