tu_79
Deity
You get ancient money from:I'm talking about early game before you even get to currency. Are classical armies not supposed to be a thing?
Capturing barb camps: 20 gold
Goody huts: scales
Connecting cities: scales with pop, requires roads or lighthouses. Beware roads can be expensive, so you may need 5 people in connected city before it nets any gold (this means granary and farms are a way to get more gold, after connection).
Demanding tribute to CS: scales. In 30 turns the will forgive you.
Befriending/allying CS. Never remember what kind is giving gold. Mercantile?
Pillaging (better at classical)
Markets (best with trade routes and spare worker).
Trade routes.
Some luxuries: mining luxuries yield gold, plantations yield gold.
Policies: Authority is the one that yields gold sooner, then Tradition and last Progress (not ancient anymore).
Selling goods to other civs: Have horses but can't build horseman?
Some pantheons: Goddess of Commerce comes to mind, but there are others that also yield gold.
If you get to found, Tithe is what pays your soldiers (unless you enhance soon and get Zealotry), but Cathedrals also yield some gold.
Not throwing your gold away. Classical roads are too expensive to spam. Investing in buildings is not worthy if you won't be able to maintain your army.
If you don't have any plantation or mining luxury, then yes, better hurry to currency.