Gold

 Gold has a history of use spanning at least 6,000 years, initially discovered in stream beds and used for jewelry in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt around 4000 BC. 

The first gold coins were minted by the Lydians around 600 BC, leading to the development of the first bi-metallic currency and the adoption of gold as an international trade standard. For centuries, gold served as a medium of exchange and store of value, eventually leading to the establishment of the gold standard in the 18th century, which tied currency value to gold until its formal abandonment in the 20th century