The gold coin of Croesus was made around 550 BC in Lydia, an area which is now western Turkey. Croesus was the King of Lydia, who was and still is famous for his wealth, which gave him a unique influence - financial power. Croesus is known to have given the world its first reliable currency and some of the world’s first coins were produced in Lydia. The coins had deep impressions in them which were created by hammer. The Lydians became rich, as the state had speeded up the market by minting coins of pure gold or silver of consistent weights giving them reliable value. Lydia was a trading centre and had large gold supplies; the coins used in Lydia spread and were used in other areas.