Слайд 2Whenever people pay for goods or services, they use some form of
money. Money can be almost anything, as long as everyone agrees on its value.
Слайд 3One of the earliest forms of money was metal, such as gold
or silver. In North America, Native Americans used beads made of shell, called wampum, as a form of money.
Слайд 4Before people used money, they bartered, or traded things they had for
the things they wanted. For example, a person may have traded five goats for one cow.
Слайд 5Bartering was not always simple, though. Each person had to agree that
the items being traded had an equal value. Also, each person had to have something that the other person wanted.
Слайд 6People invented money to avoid bartering. Someone with five goats could exchange
them for a certain amount of money instead of a cow. The person could then exchange that money for grain, cloth, or other goods of the same value.
Слайд 7Today the metal coins and pieces of paper that people use for
money have little real value. In other words, people do not use the paper for writing or the metal for making tools.
Слайд 8The value of paper money and coins comes from an agreement between
all people. They agree that they will accept certain forms of money in exchange for their goods and services. This agreement between people is the reason money works.
Слайд 9People have used money for more than 4,000 years. In the 600s
BC the kingdom of Lydia in what is now Turkey began to make coins. It was probably the first government to do so. These coins were a combination of silver and gold, called electrum. Many ancient peoples, including the Greeks and the Romans, also used coins.
Слайд 10The first types of paper money were used in China more than
1,000 years ago. Early paper money was simply a written promise to pay a certain amount of gold or silver money.
Слайд 11The paper money was valuable because it could be traded for gold
or silver. Later, governments began printing paper money. In the 1900s most governments made paper money valuable on its own. It no longer stood for gold or silver.