Sometimes an idea is so good, it never goes out of style. We still see portraits on coins today, but this idea goes waaaaay back, all the way to ancient times.

The Ancient Greeks put the faces of people as well as gods and goddesses on their coins.

Julius Caesar started the trend of having his own face imprinted on a coin to assert his power in 49 BCE. The Roman Emperors who came after Caesar must have thought this was a great idea because they all did the same.

Putting your face on a coin really made a statement. In 272 CE, Queen Zenobia, declared herself empress by having new coins minted with her own face instead of the Roman emperor Augustus. The emperor was so put out, he sent an army of 200,000 soldiers to take her out.

Here’s a fun activity where you can make your very own minted coin.

Coin Making Activity

You Will Need:

• Cardboard

• Scissors

• Aluminum Foil

• Pencil

• Black Paint

• Paintbrush

• Paper Towel

Directions:

Draw out your design idea on the design space to the right.  You can draw a profile of your face, your name, the year, decorations, or anything else you want.

Cut a circle out of the cardboard.

Wrap the cardboard in aluminum foil. Use a piece of aluminum foil about twice the size of the coin.

Imprint your design with a pencil. Try to make a deep indent without ripping the aluminum foil.

Paint the coin with black paint.

Gently wipe the surface of the coin with a paper towel. The paint should rub off the flat parts and stay in the imprints. If not, you might need to make your imprints deeper.

This activity works well with these resources: