In the early age of the coinage (approximately at the end of the 7th century BC), the prevalent theme on coins, coming mainly from the Asia Minor workshops, is of a variety of animals. The front face of the coins is later decorated with various attributes of the gods. The representation of humans is still rare until the 6th century B.C. when figures of gods enrich the repertoire of coin iconography. The satraps of Asia are the first to issue coins with human figures, symbolizing themselves. The effort for a realistic representation of the human figure started in the mid 4th century BC, and paved the road for the Hellenistic coin portrait. In the next issue: the representation of Alexander the Great on coins and the most characteristic portraits of the Hellenistic period.