Questions tagged [currency]
Refers to objects which are backed by a reputable source (usually a state actor) and used in lieu of barter to trade for goods and services. Originally currency was produced by containing a set amount of precious material or the promise that the object could be redeemed for a certain amount of a valuable commodity. In the 20th century, this was replaced by idea that currency represented a fraction of the national economy and was valuable in and of itself.
60
questions
-1
votes
2answers
117 views
Was the US dollar, the Soviet reserve currency too?
Was the Soviet rouble also backed by the US dollar, which was the global reserve currency at the time?
I remember reading something about Soviets taking aid from the US, in the 1970s, after Soviet ...
14
votes
2answers
3k views
How confusing was British currency compared to decimal currency circa 1850?
This question quotes Terry Prattchett's jest:
The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated.
Is this a fair comparison with its inference that ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
Has there ever been a case where a country adopted the currency of another country with a smaller economy?
Sometimes sovereign nations abandon their currencies (partially or fully) and adopt the currency of another state. For example, the currency of El Salvador was replaced by the United States dollar in ...
3
votes
1answer
89 views
When did $10,000 banknotes become available to the public in the British colonies of South East Asia?
When did $10,000 banknotes start to circulate publicly in the British colonies (colonies, crown colonies, "protected states", "protectorates") of South East Asia?
The Straits ...
21
votes
4answers
570 views
Why did the USSR have two sources of currency?
An inscription on the 1, 3, and 5 rubles notes says that it is a State Treasury Note (Государственный Казначейский Билет), and that it is guaranteed by the entire property of the Union of SSR (...
3
votes
1answer
159 views
What events led to the Aztecs and Mayans adopting cocoa beans as a currency?
I read how the Aztec Empire and the Mayans used cocoa beans as a currency but bartered before hand. I know records for these civilizations are rare, but do we have any record of certain historical ...
28
votes
2answers
5k views
Please help identify these old coins found in Germany?
We found these two identical coins in our garden (near Wuerzburg, lower Franconia / northern Bavaria):
Coin side A: coat-of-arms of sorts:
(the scale units are centimetres / millimetres)
Coin Side ...
26
votes
1answer
9k views
How did people cut “pieces of eight”?
The Spanish silver peso was a very common coin consisting of "fine quality silver, assayed at .931 or .916," according to CoinWeek. Under some circumstances one peso coins, worth eight reales, would ...
1
vote
1answer
156 views
How could I determine the value of a a 1921 Yuan Shikai Chinese silver dollar? [closed]
I have a 1921 Yuan Shikai Chinese silver dollar. What is the history of this coin, and how could I determine the worth/value of my coin?
1
vote
0answers
57 views
Is the Disme or the Flowing Hair Dollar the considered the first official U.S coin?
The disme was first minted in 1792 but later turned in to dime with that being said the flowing hair dollar was first minted in 1794 which its size and weight were based on the Spanish dollar, vs the ...
9
votes
3answers
756 views
At what point after the war did Confederate money begin to attain value again?
At the start of the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate States of America began to print their own money. Almost immediately it began to lose value due to inflation (except in 1864). By the end of the ...
5
votes
1answer
584 views
How did the Mesopotamian clay tokens known as bulla actually work to maintain authenticity?
I've read many articles about them using clay tokens to ensure some authenticity of transactions, called Bulla, but I can't find any information about how they actually work.
Can anyone clarify?
It ...
3
votes
1answer
646 views
What were the types of currency used in ancient Mesopotamia?
I noticed there were several types of currency mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi. Shekel, Gur, Gerah, Ka, Mina.
When you take into account that some of them could be weight measurements and could be ...
0
votes
1answer
246 views
Was the introduction of paper money controversial like cryptocurrency?
I dont know much about cryptocurrency, but I know it is controversial. There are people on both sides.
Is there historical evidence that paper money faced a similar thing? Were there people that ...
9
votes
1answer
3k views
When did the US colonies/states stop making their own currencies?
This article about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar#History shows that some of the colonies had their own currencies. It seems from the article that the dollar was around ...
