A CLOSER LOOK The Coin of the Realm The ancient economy was not a money or free-market economy like ours. Rather the system of trading or bartering, yet another form of reciprocity, still held sway, though in Paul’s day the economy was increasingly influenced by money. Money in an ancient economy was usually reserved for paying taxes, tolls and temple dues if one was part of the 95 percent of the population that was not wealthy. Money itself was minted by rulers, and increasingly by the emperor alone.