Britannica Money (2024)

dollar, originally, a silver coin that circulated in many European countries; in modern times, the name of the standard monetary unit in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. The Spanish peso, or piece of eight, which circulated in the Spanish and English colonies in America, was known as a dollar by the English-speaking peoples. Familiarity with this coin resulted in the official designation of the United States monetary unit as the dollar in 1792; the earliest known occurrence of a dollar sign ($) in print was in 1797. Canada adopted the dollar and monetary decimal system in 1858; Australia in 1966; and New Zealand in 1967.

The word itself is a modified form of the Germanic word thaler, a shortened form of Joachimst(h)aler, the name of a silver coin first struck in 1519 under the direction of the count of Schlick, who had appropriated a rich silver mine discovered in St. Joachimsthal (Joachim’s dale), Bohemia. These coins were current in Germany from the 16th century onward, with the various spelling modifications such as daler, dalar, daalder, and tallero. Only in 1873 was the thaler replaced by the mark as the German monetary unit.

In the United States, paper money has been issued in dollar amounts since 1861. Portraits of American political figures appear on the various denominations of U.S. banknotes:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.

Britannica Money (2024)

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What are four types of money? ›

Different 4 types of money
  • Fiat money – the notes and coins backed by a government.
  • Commodity money – a good that has an agreed value.
  • Fiduciary money – money that takes its value from a trust or promise of payment.
  • Commercial bank money – credit and loans used in the banking system.
Jul 11, 2023

What are the 5 stages of money's evolution? ›

There are more than five stages of money's evolution. Still, five notable stages include: commodity money (i.e., grains, livestock), metallic money (i.e., coins), paper money, credit and plastic forms of currency, and digital money.

Is credit real money? ›

Credit money is the creation of monetary value through the establishment of future claims, obligations, or debts. These claims or debts can be transferred to other parties in exchange for the value embodied in these claims.

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What is the oldest money? ›

The shekel was the unit of weight and currency, first recorded c. 2150 BC, which was nominally equivalent to a specific weight of barley that was the preexisting and parallel form of currency.

What are the 4 rules of money? ›

The Four Fundamental Rules of Personal Finance

Spend less than you make. Spend way less than you make, and save the rest. Earn more money. Make your money earn more money.

Which is the most liquid form of money? ›

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash is the most liquid asset possible as it is already in the form of money. This includes physical cash, savings account balances, and checking account balances.

What is the future of money? ›

Q: What is the future of money? The future of money is expected to be heavily influenced by technology. Predictions include the rise of cashless societies, the growth of cryptocurrencies, the continued adoption of digital currencies, and the potential offering of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) by governments.

What is symbolic money? ›

Symbolic meaning of money is the meaning of money that goes beyond tangible and physical characteristics of money.

How did money evolve? ›

The barter system likely originated 6,000 years ago. The first coin we know of is from the 7th century BC and the first paper money came into the world around 1020 AD. Eventually, medieval banking systems gave way to the gold standard, which in turn gave way to modern currency.

Why is a debit card not considered money? ›

(because they are a medium of exchange), and why checks, money orders, or debit and credit cards are not money (because they are only a means of payment but not a medium of exchange). that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services or in the settlement of debts" (Hubbard, 2005, p.

What is a liquid trap? ›

Definition: Liquidity trap is a situation when expansionary monetary policy (increase in money supply) does not increase the interest rate, income and hence does not stimulate economic growth. Description: Liquidity trap is the extreme effect of monetary policy.

Did debt come before money? ›

Graeber argues that debt and credit historically appeared before money, which itself appeared before barter. This is the opposite of the narrative given in standard economics texts dating back to Adam Smith. To support this, he cites numerous historical, ethnographic and archaeological studies.

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Britannica's products have over 7 billion page views annually and are used by more than 150 million students, the website shows. Chief Executive Officer Jorge Cauz said in an interview in September 2022 the company would have revenue that year approaching $100 million.

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In 1996, Britannica was sold to an investment group led by Jacob E. Safra, a Switzerland-based financier. He restructured the company, laying off more than 120 people including many of the company's top employees.

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