We take money for granted, and it’s no wonder, since it seems some denomination of it has been around forever. But the Greeks were one of the first societies in the world to use a monetary system based on coins. These ancient Greek coins first came along in the 7th century B.C., and the main coin used was the drachma, which meant “a handful.”

Read on and we’ll take a look at some of the more well-known coins found in ancient Greece.

• Some of the very first coins appeared in Aegina. These coins were made of silver, and the region was best known for its booming maritime trade, which is why a sea turtle was portrayed on the coin.

• Syracuse was another prosperous seafaring city-state. To celebrate its symbiotic relationship with the sea, dolphins were printed upon their currency.

• Athens gained its name as a tribute to the goddess of wisdom, Athena. The owl was one of her creatures, and it appeared on Athenian coins as a tribute. These coins were highly popular, and they have been found as far away as Palestine and Egypt.

• The most well-known hero of Corinth was Bellerophon. Legend says that he found the winged steed Pegasus outside of the city at the fountain of Pirene, and Pegasus appeared on the city-state’s coins from then on.

• Chariot racing was a wildly popular sport all across ancient Greece, and Macedon was no exception. An image of a chariot appeared on Macedonian coins to celebrate their love of the incredibly dangerous sport.

• Metapontum was an important agricultural center for the region and beyond. Since farming was one of the engines of their economy, wheat appeared on their coinage as both a celebration and an enticement for business.