Money, Money, Money Chapter 1

Money, Money, Money!

Chapter1

How would you like to be paid a handful of large seashells instead of your pocket money? How would you feel if you received a bar of salt? What would you do if a large, four-metre wide stone wheel was rolled into your room on pockey-money day?

If you had lived a thousand years ago, you would have thought that a stone wheel was just fine. In those days, if someone had given you a handful of coins or a five-dollar note, you would have wondered what they were?

Seashells, bars of salt and large, round rocks have all been used as money in the past. They could be used to buy good, such as food or clothing, and to pay people for work they had done. These items had value that people in different parts of the world agreed upon. They were a type of money.

Today, we use materials to make coins and notes that are not worth as much as the money value on each coins or note. The dollar coins are made of cheap metals and only cost a few cents to make. The paper or polymer notes used for larger amounts of money are also very cheap to manufacture.

The government of each country has agreed on a value for each coin and note. Their value is easier to recognise and use than other things, such as seashells, stone wheels or even gold and silver.