How Gold Was Made

By Toviah B.

              The year was 602 BCE. War was finished, for the time being. Everybody was rejoicing, save one man. His name was Chrysafi, meaning gold in Greek. He, of all people, was chosen from a semi-poor family living in Athens, by Draco, the ruler at that time. Draco believed that Chrysafi’s name would give good luck in choosing the next steps to take in ruling Athens. Chrysafi was sitting in his room, reading the Iliad. Suddenly he had an idea! He was going to tell this plan to Draco, but later.

              “A toast to the brave warriors who died--”

              “--And lived!”

              “… And lived in the wars that they have fought!”

              A party was livening Draco’s evening. Wine and fish. Mmmm…his favorite. While he was eating and drinking he was thinking of a more practical trading currency. He quickly caught a glimpse of Chrysafi. Nah… it must have been an illusion played by one of those clowns, he thought. He sipped some wine. Something tapped his shoulder. He spit out some wine and turned around. There he was. Chrysafi had come to the party.

              “Draco, I have a brilliant plan.”

              “Ooh! Of what?”

              “While I was reading the Iliad, I thought of a great kind of currency! It is round circles with a diameter of about half of a centimeter. It shall be called ‘money,’ ‘moneys’ being the plural.”

              “Chrysafi, that is a wonderful idea. It’s a masterpiece.”

              “This money will be made out of a precious material—gold.”

              “Ha! How funny! Your name means gold, and you, Chrysafi, have found a wonderful use for gold.”

              And so, being late into the night, Chrysafi and Draco went away from the party. They both thought about different things, of course. Draco thought of when the production of these moneys would start, and if they would have designs or not, and so on. Chrysafi was thinking the same thing, yet not the same thing. He was thinking of what the reactions of the people would be when money was introduced, and if the money would be hard or easy to make. They were thinking about the same thing, but from different perspectives. They were looking at the cup, half empty, half full. The money was much more successful than Chrysafi or Draco had imagined. The next day, Draco called the people of the city to the middle of Athens.

              “From now on, we will not have to trade objects for objects. We will trade objects for round gold disks, now called money, and money for objects. All those in favor of this say  ‘Aye!’”

              “Aye!”

              The real first coins in Athens were not called money; they were called drachma. There are many references to drachma in later stories. Athens went through many sets of money through the years. They had all kinds of things inscripted into the coins, including small owls.