Shelling Out (bibliography)

Money is the most common medium of exchange, representing and functioning as legal tender. But how did man develop a world in which currencies are traded speculatively, where some are pegged agains…

Money makes the world go round. This often used and abused saying could not have been coined in the olden days, when money as we know it did not exist and instead, other things of value were used to carry out buying and selling transactions. True enough, it is hard to imagine fat, well-fed cows […]

From barter, cattle, and cowrie shells to modern coins and currency, see how economic exchange has evolved through time.

Paper money first appeared in 12th century China, during the Song Dynasty. It proved much more convenient than coins but easier to counterfeit.

On June 5, 1933, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold…

Proto-cuneiform is the transitional written language of Uruk period accounting in Mesopotamia, between Neolithic clay tokens and literary cuneiform.

A dream about seashells symbolizes protection, transformation, and communication. It can also signify wealth and the accomplishment of goals.