Element (Pb), Atomic No. 82, density 11.36 kg/litre, M.Pt 327°C

Lead is a very soft bluish-grey metal, and so early lead coins do not survive too well. However, it has been used, particularly in southern India around the time of Christ, in China, and in Burma and Siam during the 19th century. Because it casts well and has a silvery appearance when new it has often been used for forgeries, especially when plated to replicate gold coins.

In Roman times lead was used for tesserae, which were tickets or tokens (also made in bronze) that were distributed by the emperor (amongst others) entitling the holder to either food or money.

In its normal state it tarnishes rapidly to a dark grey colour, and has extremely poor wear resistance.

Source: http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html

In ancient Predynastic Egypt (ca 4000-3000 BC) galena or lead sulphide was used in the manufacture of kohl or eyeliner and indeed a striking feature of Egyptian art is the beautiful and exaggerated lining of the eyes. Stone palettes for grinding kohl are found in ancient Egypt along with artifacts of lead indicating that lead was one of the earliest metals to be smelted since lead ore is easily reduced and does not require very high temperatures. Lead was commonly alloyed with copper and bronze for making castings. In De Re Metallica, a Renaissance period text authored by Agricola more than five centuries ago, the Westphalian process of smelting lead ore is described where lead ore is smelted in an open hearth. The mineral-rich Aravalli region of Rajasthan was one of the important early lead mining regions in antiquity. The use of low melting lead-tin eutectic as a solder became common in Europe by the late medieval period.