Coinage in Ancient Greece Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading test consists of passages followed by questions that test the examinee’s ability to locate specific information, understand the main idea, and identify relevant details in the text.

Coinage in Ancient Greece is one such reading passage discussing the development of coins and their introduction to the marketplace. The passage covers barter and early forms of money, the development of the first Greek coins, innovations in ancient Greek numismatics, and the impact of ancient coins on the modern world.

The reading passage can be found in IELTS Reading Practice Test 12. Below are all the Coins Reading answers from the official site:

Question Number	Coinage in Ancient Greece Reading Answers
1	IX
2	III
3	I
4	VII
5	VI
6	V
7	Poleis
8	Turtle
9	Six obols
10	Bronze bars
11	B
12	C

Now, you can attempt the Coinage in Ancient Greece IELTS Reading questions from the practice test that we have created for you and check your responses against the answer key and explanations provided on this page.

Coinage in Ancient Greece IELTS Reading Passage for Practice

The Coinage in Ancient Greece IELTS Reading passage describes the development of the coin in ancient Greece and its impact on trade. It also provides information about the types of coins, their design elements, and the influence of ancient Greek coinage on the modern world.

Before you read the passage, look at the questions to get an idea of what information you should be looking for. This will help you to identify what to look for while reading the passage. 

Since the passage contains a lot of information that might get confused at first, but you should learn to spot the critical points that will guide you toward the right answers. You will need to be aware of the origins of the different types of coins, the chronological development of Greek coinage, and the specific features of each coin type.

Now, read the passage and attempt your IELTS Reading practice test: 

Coinage in Ancient Greece

A More than 170 official currencies are in use around the world today. Although their values differ, many have similar designs. Coins and banknotes often show a well-known person, such as a political leader or monarch, on one side and a national symbol, such as an animal or building, on the other. This approach to currency design began in ancient Greece more than 2,100 years ago.

B Before money was introduced, people in the ancient world usually exchanged goods or services directly. However, as sea trade expanded across the Mediterranean, this system became increasingly difficult to manage. It was not easy to compare the value of different goods and services, and transporting large items, such as cattle, by boat was inconvenient. This created a need for a reliable medium of exchange, which eventually took the form of currency. In Politics, Aristotle explained that metal coins became popular because they were easy to carry and did not spoil. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the first coins were produced in Lydia in 620 BC, although some researchers believe they originated in Ionia. At the time, Europeans were unaware that China had already been using coins for nearly 400 years.

C The history of ancient Greek coins is divided into three periods: the Archaic Period (600–480 BC), the Classical Period (480–330 BC), and the Hellenistic Period (330 BC to the 1st century BC). Ancient Greece was made up of independent city-states known as poleis, and each one issued its own coins. Aegina was the first island to produce silver coins, possibly after noticing how coins had helped the Ionians conduct trade more easily. As Aegina led a group of seven states, its coin system soon influenced other city-states around the Mediterranean. Until Athens began minting its own coins around 510 BC, Aegina's coins, which displayed a turtle, were the most widely used in the region.

D Athens introduced a new coin called the tetradrachm, which featured an owl on one side in honour of Athena, the goddess who protected the city. Before this coin appeared, Athenians used iron rods called obols as money. Since a person could hold around six obols in one hand, this amount became known as a drachma. The term came from the Greek verb dratto, meaning “to grasp”. A tetradrachm was worth 24 obols. As Athens grew more powerful, its coin replaced Aegina's turtle coin as the leading currency in the region. Around the same time, Mediterranean trading cities began following common standards for their coins. Although each city retained its own symbols, its coins were made to the same standards as Athenian currency and could be exchanged for one another. This arrangement was similar to the way the euro is used across participating European countries today.

E The use of coins soon spread beyond the Greek city-states. Around 300 BC, the Romans replaced their bronze bars with coins. Alexander the Great and his father, King Philip of Macedonia, also produced large numbers of coins to pay for their military campaigns around this period. Philip's death in 336 BC marked the beginning of the Hellenistic Period. Two important developments took place during this era: coins began to carry a particular design, called a “type”, on their reverse side, and coins were produced in much larger quantities. Much of this production happened in kingdoms outside the Greek city-states, including Egypt, Syria, and the Far East. Another change was the use of portraits of living kings and other important people instead of traditional images of animals and buildings. Many Greeks criticised this practice. Athens continued producing its tetradrachm coins and introduced a design with broad, thin metal blanks. This style became popular across the Aegean region and remained in use until Roman rule spread across Greece.

F Ancient Greek coins still attract the interest of collectors and historians today. They helped introduce a new way of conducting trade in Europe, and their influence can still be seen in modern commerce. Their designs also shaped the appearance of today's currency. For example, the owl remains a symbol on the Greek version of the euro, while portraits of important people continue to appear on coins and banknotes around the world. Greek coins were also carefully made by hand, reflecting the high level of skill of ancient Greek craftspeople. Many are therefore valued both for their historical importance and for their beauty as small works of art.

Now, answer Questions 1–12 based on the passage above. Read each question carefully and refer to the relevant paragraph to find the correct answer.

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Coinage in Ancient Greece Reading Questions

Read the passage carefully and answer Questions 1–12. 

For Questions 1–6, choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list below. 

For Questions 7–10, answer using no more than two words from the passage. 

For Questions 11–12, choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

Questions 1–6

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–F from the list below.

List of Headings

i. The artistic value of coins made in ancient times

ii. Why exchanging goods became difficult

iii. The growth of coin production outside Greece

iv. The introduction of a shared system for trading coins

v. The origins of modern currency designs

vi. The three main stages of Greek coin development

vii. The use of coins before the rise of Athens

viii. The reasons metal became a preferred material for money

ix. The influence of ancient coins on present-day trade

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E
6. Paragraph F

Questions 7–10

Answer the following questions using no more than two words from the passage.

1. What was the name given to the independent states that made up ancient Greece?
2. Which metal did Aegina use to make its early coins?
3. Which Greek goddess was honoured on the Athenian tetradrachm?
4. Which region became popular for the new broad, thin coin design?

Questions 11–12

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

11. Why did metal coins become a practical choice for trade in the ancient world?

A. They could be exchanged only in their city of origin.

B. They were easy to carry and did not spoil.

C. They were made with portraits of important rulers.

D. They had the same value in every city-state.

12. What change took place in coin design during the Hellenistic Period?

A. Coins stopped displaying symbols of animals and buildings everywhere.

B. All Greek cities began using coins with identical designs.

C. Portraits of living rulers began appearing on coins.

D. Athens stopped producing its own tetradrachms.

Also Read:
IELTS Syllabus	IELTS Test Format	IELTS Exam Pattern

Coinage in Ancient Greece Reading Answers with Explanation

Check your answers below and see how each one connects to the passage. The explanations will help you understand which details matter, especially in questions where more than one answer may seem possible.

Coinage in Ancient Greece Reading Answers:

Answers: 1–6: Match the Headings

1. Paragraph A — vi. The origins of modern currency designs

Answer: vi

Look at the last sentence of paragraph A. It tells us that the way modern coins display people and national symbols began in ancient Greece. This is the main point of the paragraph. So, even though it starts by talking about currencies used today, the heading should focus on where these designs came from.

2. Paragraph B — ii. Why direct exchange became difficult

Answer: ii

The clue is in the problems people faced when trading goods. It was hard to compare the value of different items, and moving large goods by boat was not easy. These problems explain why people needed another way to trade. That is why heading ii fits better than a heading focused only on the advantages of metal coins.

3. Paragraph C — v. The development of coinage in different periods

Answer: v

The paragraph begins by naming the three periods of ancient Greek coinage. It then gives examples of how coins developed, from Aegina's silver coins to the coins later produced by Athens. The focus is on how coinage changed over time, rather than on just one coin or city-state.

4. Paragraph D — iv. The rise of the Athenian tetradrachm

Answer: iv

The Athenian tetradrachm is the main focus here. We learn about its owl design, how its value related to obols, and how it became more widely used than Aegina's coin. The paragraph does mention shared standards for trading coins, but that comes later. The tetradrachm's introduction and growing importance make heading iv the better fit.

5. Paragraph E — vii. The spread of coin production and new designs

Answer: vii

There are two useful clues here: coins began to be produced beyond the Greek city-states, and their designs started to change. For example, portraits of living rulers appeared on coins, while Athens introduced a broad, thin design. Since the paragraph covers both the spread of production and these design changes, heading vii is the best match.

6. Paragraph F — iii. The lasting influence of ancient Greek coins

Answer: iii

This paragraph looks at why these coins still matter today. Their designs can still be seen in modern currency, and collectors value them for their history and beauty. The heading is not limited to their artistic value; it covers their wider influence and importance, which is why heading iii fits best.

Answers: 7–10: Short Answers

7. What was the Greek term for independent city-states?

Answer: poleis

In paragraph C, the passage calls the independent city-states of ancient Greece poleis. The question uses a simpler description, but it is asking for the same term. Use the word from the passage rather than writing a longer explanation.

8. Which animal appeared on Aegina’s coins?

Answer: turtle

The passage mentions the coins of Aegina in paragraph C, and it says that they displayed a turtle. This is a direct-detail question, so you do not need to interpret the information or look for a synonym. You just have to make sure that you identify Aegina's coins, and not the owl shown on the Athenian tetradrachm.

9. How many obols were equal in value to one drachma?

Answer: six

Paragraph D says that six obols could be held in one hand, and this amount became known as a drachma. The detail to watch here is the difference between a drachma and a tetradrachm. A drachma was equal to six obols, while a tetradrachm was worth 24.

10. What material were Roman bars made from before coins were introduced?

Answer: bronze

The answer appears in paragraph E, where the passage says that the Romans replaced their bronze bars with coins around 300 BC. The question asks what the bars were made of, so look for the material mentioned alongside the word “bars”. The answer is bronze, not the coins that replaced them.

Answers: 11–12: Multiple-Choice Questions

11. What was one feature of the Athenian tetradrachm introduced during the Hellenistic Period?

Answer: B. It had a broad and thin design.

Paragraph E says that Athens continued making tetradrachms and introduced a broad, thin design. This matches option B.

Option A might catch your attention because the paragraph also mentions portraits of living kings. However, it does not say that Athens replaced the owl on its tetradrachm with portraits. The broad, thin design is the feature specifically linked to Athens, so B is the right answer.

12. Why are ancient Greek coins still valued today?

Answer: C. They reflect the artistic skill of ancient Greek craftspeople.

The final paragraph states that they were carefully made by hand and that they're considered small works of art, which supports option C

You might guess option A as the answer from the passage because it says that coins introduced a new way to conduct business in Europe, but that's referring to their history, not their modern usage. The passage doesn't state that they continue to be used for purchasing everyday goods.

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