How did ancient / older civilizations prevent counterfeiting without the modern day techniques?

by Quenty
Searocksandtrees

hi! there's always room for more contributions, but FYI there was a related question just a few days ago; see here for the discussion and links to several more posts

Modern currency uses sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technology such as holograms or specialized paper. How did ancient civilizations deal with/prevent counterfeiting, and how much of an impact would it have on the economy?