Ban on the image of living people, plastic money, bills with the highest denomination and more

The main trend of the last year was the news about which we were bombarded every day from morning to evening by all well-known media outlets. Perhaps now even a schoolboy knows what blockchain is, and he collects money for a new bike through ICO. Against this background, we decided to recall the undeservedly forgotten ordinary currencies and have collected nine facts about them that will definitely surprise you.

1. One, two, more?
There are at least 25 different dollars in the world

How much is a dollar now? 60 rubles? Or 40? Or maybe 50 kopecks? Do not rush to answer, as all the above options are correct. For one American dollar, they now give about 60 rubles, for New Zealand - in the region of 40, and for Jamaican - less than 50 kopecks. IN currently around the world, there are two and a half dozen different dollars in circulation: from Surinamese and Tuvaluan to Bermuda and Barbados.

The word "dollar" is the undisputed leader in the ranking of the most popular names for national currencies today. It is followed by the pound, franc, dinar, peso and rupee. For example, the pound is called the currency of Syria, in Serbia they pay with a dinar, and in the Seychelles the rupee is used. The latter, by the way, is four times more expensive than the Russian ruble.

2. One and a half one bill
The denomination of banknotes can be very strange

We are all accustomed to the fact that coins and banknotes are issued in "round" denominations - 1, 2, 5, 10, 100, and so on. However, sometimes this system fails and such copies as 35 Burmese kyats in one bill are born. Similar money was printed in Burma in 1985, and you can still get it in your collection, as well as 45, 75 and 90 kyats. At the same time, with this money, you can partially learn Burmese numbers, since the denomination on them is given in two units of measurement - the usual Arabic numbers and exotic Burmese ones.

An even stranger denomination was the commemorative coins that Bulgaria issued by the date of the signing of the treaty on accession to the European Union. The coin cost 1.95583 leva - it was at this rate that German marks were exchanged for euros, to which the Bulgarian lev was equated at the rate since 1999. The logic is, perhaps, as strange as the denomination of the anniversary lev.

3. Cotton, plastic and more
Paper money is not made entirely of paper.

The phrase "paper money" is firmly entrenched in everyday life, but if you look into the intricacies of the technology of banknotes production, it turns out that in most cases they are not made of paper in our usual sense. Plain paper does not have the required resistance to wear, so you have to use cotton or linen raw materials, plastic, semi-synthetic materials and their various combinations.

How many trees are cut down per year to print dollars? Correct answer: zero. The paper for them consists mainly of cotton and linen (the once torn dollar could even be sewn with a needle and thread). Vietnamese dongs, Maldivian rufiyaas and bills of many other countries are made entirely of plastic. The most advanced banknote in Russia is the 100 rubles issued for the Olympics, which are classified as hybrid money (that is, banknotes with a paper base, but with an insert made of polymer material, which allows them to provide additional degrees of protection).

As for the coins, here it is necessary to note the Transnistrian rubles, some of which are made not of metal, but of composite materials.

4. No, Mr. President
Not all US currencies feature US presidents

Everyone knows that US dollars depicts prominent US presidents, but in reality they are not. Moreover, you yourself, most likely, were holding an American bill without a portrait of the president. The fact is that Alexander Hamilton (he is depicted on the $ 10 banknote) and Benjamin Franklin (on the $ 100 banknote) have never been the heads of the American state.

If you study the rare and rarity banknotes, then you can find on them other public figures who were not presidents, but made a significant contribution to the history of the United States. Thus, the 1918 $ 500 bill depicts the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall, the $ 10,000 of the same year depicts the head of the Treasury Salmon Chase, and the 1891 dollar 1 dollar silver certificate depicts a portrait of Martha Washington. The wife of the President of Washington is the only woman in history whose portrait was funded by American money.

5. It will not be enough!
The denomination of banknotes can be large. Very large

One of the most striking examples of hyperinflation (and numerous zeros on banknotes) is the history of Zimbabwe, where at one time they issued notes in denominations of up to 1 trillion Zimbabwean dollars. However, a trillion is far from the limit. In 1946, Hungary issued a banknote with a face value of ... 1 billion trillion penge (10 in the 21st degree penge). Unlike colleagues from Zimbabwe, the Hungarian authorities decided not to list all the zeros on the banknote itself and made the entry more concise - 1 billion B-penge. Because of this, on the Internet you can often find the opinion that the record for denomination belongs to Zimbabwe, although this is not the case.

The largest denomination banknote in the history of the United States - the gold certificate of the Treasury for 100 thousand dollars from 1934-1935. The largest Russian banknote at face value is 500 thousand rubles of the 1995 model (except for the banknotes of 10 billion rubles, which were printed by the Transcaucasian SFSR in 1924).

6. A venerable age
The Russian ruble is one of the oldest national currencies in the world

Nothing lasts forever under the moon, and states with their currencies are no exception in this regard. Neither Roman denarii, nor Greek drachmas, nor Venetian ducats as legal tender have survived to this day. The main centenarians, who lived centuries ago and still feel great, are the British pound sterling and the Russian ruble. Pounds were in use in East Anglia as early as the 8th century AD, and rubles were paid in Russia from about the 12th – 13th centuries (the first documentary mention dates back to 1316). Against the background of the pound and the ruble, the US dollar looks like an extremely young currency (the end of the 17th century), not to mention the euro, which is still not even 20 years old. By the way, if it were not for the transition of Greece to the single European currency, then the oldest existing money would have been drachmas.

7. How much to weigh in baht?
In Thailand, the baht is both a currency and a measure of mass.

The names of many currencies in the world originated from units of mass, but with the spread of the metric system, the use of these words in their original meaning ceased. Neither the pound in Great Britain, nor the shekel in Israel, nor the lira in Italy are the official units of mass, although they were originally.

Another thing is Thailand, respecting traditions, where the baht is both the national currency and the official measure of mass when it comes to precious metals. Conservative Thais still measure the mass of gold bars and jewelry in baht, and the baht value is different: for bullion it is 15.244 grams, and for gold jewelry - 15.160 grams. Now one baht of gold costs about 20 thousand baht in Thailand.

8. Contemporaries have no place here
Live people cannot be depicted on American dollars.

US legislation really prohibits placing images of living people on the national currency, and the same applies to stocks, bonds and a number of other securities. The corresponding law was passed in 1866, and one of the prerequisites for its appearance was the story of Spencer Clark, then head of the National Currency Bureau. At some point, the US Congress decided to immortalize the traveler William Clarke, the namesake of the head of the Bureau, on the dollar bill. The document received by Clark indicated only the name of the person whose portrait had to be placed on the banknote, and he eventually decorated the banknote with himself, and not with the heroic traveler.

In total, only five people were able to see their portraits on American banknotes and their equivalents during their lifetime: Abraham Lincoln, Winfield Scott, Salmon Chase, Francis Spinner and the aforementioned Spencer Clark.

9. Overwhelming income
The weight of the heaviest coin of our time is more than 1 ton

In October 2011, the Australian Perth Mint set a world record. The employees of the mint minted a coin of truly gigantic dimensions. Its diameter was 80 centimeters, thickness - 12 centimeters, and weight - 1012 kilograms of the purest gold. Queen Elizabeth II is depicted on one side of the coin and a red-haired kangaroo on the other. The coin has a face value of 1 million Australian dollars, and it is legal tender, although hardly anyone decides to pay with it, since the value of the gold contained in it exceeds 50 million.

By the way, the Australians are also approaching the minting of ordinary coins on a grand scale. So, the Australian 50 cents is one of the largest coins today. The diameter of the coin is more than 3 centimeters, the weight is 15 grams. For comparison: Russian 5 rubles are 2.5 centimeters in diameter and weigh 6 grams.

For reference

Since December 2017, some of VTB's ATMs and offices in Moscow have begun accepting and issuing banknotes in denominations of 200 and 2,000 rubles. The rest of the Bank's ATMs will start working with new banknotes by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

From the moment the first business relations between people appeared, money as the main instrument of mutual settlements began to gradually take over the world. Today, improving one's well-being is a natural need for every adult, because the lack of financial stability makes it impossible to enjoy many of the benefits of civilization.

When paying in a store or on the Internet for a certain service in a particular currency, few people ask the question of its origin. Nevertheless, there are some facts about money, which at least can cause surprise, and at the very least make you look at the monetary aspect of human life in a completely different way.

1. One of the most ancient forms of money is cattle. Depending on the region, cows, sheep, camels and other animals were used for calculations. Counting was carried out on the heads of animals, which were called "caput" (translated from Latin - head). This term has become the prototype of modern "capital".

Cattle - the first "money" in history

2. The Romans made their first money in the temple of the goddess of the family, good advice and predictions of Juno Coin. This is where the name came from monetary unit, which in most countries is a bargaining chip for large paper notes. By the way, people still use coins to make certain decisions and get advice, tossing them up and choosing "heads or tails".

Statue of the goddess Juno Coins

3. The first who began to portray a person on money were the Macedonians. Such an honor was awarded to their greatest commander, who himself ordered the minting of coins with his image.

4. In times Ancient Greece For a long time the rulers of Sparta used heavy metal rods as monetary units, despite the fact that “normal” money was already circulating in neighboring states. This was done so that the Spartans did not have a craving for enrichment, did not steal and did not give bribes.

5. The first non-cash payment can be attributed to the days of chivalry. Not wanting to carry additional cargo with them and fearing to be robbed on the way, each knight possessed a ring with a personal seal, with which he paid in the tavern. Later, the innkeeper visited the knight's estate and presented an invoice to his client.

6. In the 12-13th centuries. in England there was a special tax on cowardice, which all knights who did not want to fight on the side of the king were obliged to pay. Initially, the amount of the fee was symbolic, but with the coming to power of King John, the amount of the tax increased sharply. In addition, it had to be paid even in peacetime.

7. Almost simultaneously with the emergence of the modern analogue of money (in paper and coin versions), the problem of counterfeits arose. It manifested itself especially clearly during the American civil war 1895, when almost half of the money in the country was counterfeit. This situation led to the creation of the US Secret Service, whose main task was to combat counterfeiters.

8. The attitude towards counterfeiters at all times was quite strict. For example, the ancient Chinese cut out the hearts of those who tried to forge the imperial paper money, and the British in 1817 hanged 313 people from whom counterfeit banknotes were confiscated.

9. Money is very often the cause of abuse. So, the Danes cut the noses of the Irish, who refused to pay the tax levy.

10. The term "bankruptcy" comes from the Italian phrase "banca rotta", which literally translates as "broken bench". The fact is that at the time of the formation of banking, the main monetary transactions (loans, exchanges) were carried out on an ordinary bench, which was located in a public place. If the "banker" did not have enough funds to fulfill his obligations, his bench risked being broken.

11. The most ancient banks were religious temples, where people kept their own funds for mutual settlements - grain and precious metals

12. There are over 1.5 million ATMs in the world (one is even present in Antarctica). The most popular day for cash withdrawals is Friday.

13. The largest mint in the world is located in Philadelphia. It is capable of issuing 1.8 million currency units per hour, 32 million per day and 13.5 billion per year.

14. According to research, more than 90% of cash contains disease-causing microbes on its surface. This is another reason for the growing popularity of non-cash transactions and Internet payments.

15. The production of coins is waste-free, since worn-out units are recycled and reused in coin production. Naturally, this approach is not used for banknotes, in which case the "waste material" must be crushed and further used for other purposes.

16. The basis of modern paper money is not paper at all, but fabric, which is 25% linen and 75% cotton. That is why she is so strong. 4000 double bends (back and forth) are required for the note to tear.

17. The idea of creating a credit card belongs to Frank McNamara. After a businessman was unable to pay for dinner at a restaurant due to lack of funds, he thought it would be nice to be able to borrow anytime, anywhere.

18. The first credit cards were introduced in the 1920s. At first, hotels began to use them, offering customers to book a room without the need for instant payment. A little later, stores and gas companies took up this initiative.

19. is the most popular person among money designers. Her image is used on banknotes in more than 30 countries around the world.

20. The most common name for banknotes is the franc. In addition to France, this name is used in 33 other countries around the world. The dollar, used in 27 countries, is in second place.

21. The term "penny" appeared in the times. Then the prince began to be depicted on silver coins holding a spear in his hand, which is why they were often called "spear money".

22. Modern coins have a special notch on the end, which is called a edge. Its author is a physicist, mathematician, alchemist and part-time employee of the British Mint. The idea was to make it impossible for fraudsters to discreetly cut small pieces of metal and subsequently make new money out of them.

23. In the Dominican Republic, some coins are minted with their own weight, for example 10 cents have the inscription “10 grams”. This feature has a functional purpose - coins are often used as miniature weights.

24. The service life of paper banknotes is not too long - on average, it is 3 years. The "long-livers" includes a 100-dollar bill, which can be used for 8 years.

25. The course of the hands of the most famous watch in the world - Big Ben - is regulated at 1p. If the clock starts to rush, the chief watchmaker places a coin on the pendulum and thereby subtracts the second.

People hear the word "money" at every step. History remembers a lot of interesting incidents, discoveries, curiosities, and amazing facts about money the world hears every day.

Already from the 3rd grade, students begin to get acquainted with the amazing world of people, in which money plays an important role, at least for the moment and for the foreseeable future. Therefore, it will be useful and curious for young citizens to learn interesting facts about them. Moreover, it is possible that the facts about money for grade 3 will be of interest to adults as well.

Money is written scientific works, books, films were shot. It is written about them in all sacred texts and ancient epics, money has many times been the cause of bloody crimes, civil strife and wars.

Any detective will certainly touch upon the topic of robbery or bribery, and the favorite topic of detective writers is bank robbery.

Let us recall, for example, the wonderful work of Conan Doyle, The Union of Redheads. And what about the music? Hit of all times and peoples - song "Money" group ABBA.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with 10 amazing facts about money in the world around us.

The word money is thought to lead history from the Turkic tanga, tenga, tenge.

And it is believed to have happened one of two possible reasons, both are not fully confirmed:

distorted translation of the word "ringing", that is, a hint that they were paid in bulk;
distorted sound of the word danak, coins of the times of Alexander the great. According to legend, exactly such a coin was taken by the carrier of souls Charon in the afterlife kingdom of Hades.

Fact 2: Superstitions and omens

From time immemorial, people have associated their well-being with money. It was believed that the more money a person has, the more he can be confident in his future, in well-being.

There were many popular signs related to money, in each locality.

For example, in Russia, merchants tried to hear the first cuckoo crowing in the spring, without fail with coins in their pockets. It was believed that if you rattle about them, then the year will be successful, but if the cuckoo crowing came with an empty pocket, then it promised trouble and losses.

Fact 3: Unusually shaped money

Initially, valuable goods played the role of money: beads, skins of fur animals, expensive shells, ingots of precious metals, rams, camels.

Now no, no, but some country will take and issue money in an interesting form.

Bank of Somalia issues volumetric coins in the form of a pyramid, ball, cube, cylinder.

Made in Benin money in the form of a cannabis leaf.

Made in Rwanda coins with three-dimensional image of monkeys.

Fact 4: The biggest coins

Bank of Canada issued a huge gold coin in 100 kilograms named "Maple Leaf"... Made only 5 pieces.

Coin weighing 31 kg entitled "Big Phil" released in Austria, there were 15 of them.

And for the XXIX Olympic Games in China issued a ten-kilogram gold coin.

It has a square shape, was released in 1727 and has weight 1638 grams.

Fact 5: Paper money

Paper money originally invented paper at home - in China, about 1000 years ago, and began to enter into everyday life two centuries later. They were much more convenient to use than copper rods and coins.

Later, paper money appeared in Japan., and they came to Europe in 1574, when the authorities of Leiden besieged by the Spaniards introduced them into use, as they were in dire need of ordinary coins.

Subsequently, paper money spread throughout Europe, and later to the whole world, in Russia they began to be called banknotes.

Fact 6: The money that gave the name to the words

Many names for money have given names to new words. For example, in Venice, leaflets with printed news were issued, which cost one small coin - a newspaper.

Since then, paper news has been called a newspaper.

There is a story in the Bible about a beggar woman who donated two mites to a temple. At that time, one mite could buy 1 pomegranate or a pie, now a mite is understood as a feasible contribution to something.

Fact 7: depreciation of money

Money has always been tied to the value of the precious metal, as it was believed that gold and silver would only rise in price. However, with the discovery of America, cheap silver flooded Europe, and this devalued silver money.

Also, money depreciates during periods of inflation, when the government prints unsecured paper money or gives unreasonable loans to cover its expenses.

Fact 8: Numismatics

Elite type of collecting: collecting coins and banknotes. It became isolated only in the 19th century, although before that, of course, individual people collected such collections.

Now it is a popular hobby and sometimes a business, as rare coins are sold at auctions for crazy money. However, numismatics is democratic - collecting the simplest coins is available to everyone, even schoolchildren.

Fact 9: Electronic money

In a broad sense, electronic money is non-cash money moving in bank accounts and has been known for a long time, but in everyday life ordinary people appeared only in the early 90s, with the development of the Internet and the introduction of plastic cards.

At first, people perceived them with distrust, but now it is difficult to imagine shopping in online stores and paying for services without them. Many electronic payment systems have been created: plastic cards, Qiwi systems, Yandex money, PayPal and others.

Fact 10: Counterfeit money

Always and at all times, counterfeiters faced the most severe punishments, but this never stopped the criminals. The oldest counterfeit coins found by archaeologists date back to the 6th century BC and were found on the island of Aegina, Greece: instead of silver coins, they minted copper ones with a silver coating.

The reduction of the weight of the coin by cutting off a part of the metal was equated with counterfeiting; to combat this, a special herd (teeth) was applied on the coins.

Perhaps 3rd grade children studying the world around them, facts about money will interest you no less than knowledge about nature, countries, people. After all, money is a part of world history, a part of the history of mankind, and therefore of our history, the history of every citizen.

Money is an integral part of a person's daily life. According to historical sources, the origin of money took place in the 7th century BC. The first coins began to be issued by the ancient Lydian kingdom, as well as China. Before that, people used the exchange system, when they paid for the purchase of goods with "commodity money". Much has changed since then, like appearance the banknotes themselves.

At the end of the article, we have prepared a surprise 🎁 - an exciting test to test your attentiveness 😃

Briefly about historical information and modern realities

The evolution of the equivalent of goods and services can be traced in the constant modification of monetary denominations. And today there is a new currency, electronic and even virtual. The list below contains historical facts about banknotes.

Before the appearance of the first coins, not only goods were used for exchange, but also stones (Yap Island), shells (China, 3500 BC), precious ingots.
In the manufacture of the first coins, an alloy of silver and gold was used - a natural alloy called "electra" with a face value of 1 stater. In the old days, coins of various denominations were issued by mints.

According to ancient sources of information, the image of a person was first minted on coins during the reign of Alexander the Great. Surprisingly, such coins were issued after Alexander's death for many years. In the future, the rulers of other states also used this idea.

Ancient Greece had temples instead of banks. In ancient times, the treasures of the temples were considered inviolable. Even the enemy armies, having captured the city, did not plunder the temple treasury. Ancient Greek temples owned huge amounts of money and often lent money to people or organizations.

Interesting!

With the advent of money, traditions were born. For example, the Celts, believing in an afterlife, borrowed from fellow tribesmen, promising to repay the debt after death.

With the advent of money, counterfeiters also appeared. According to ancient sources, the first coins were simply forged. Instead of an alloy, copper was used and covered with a thin layer of silver on top. Over time, the silver layer was erased and it became known about the substitution, but the criminals were already far away.

Coins of any denomination have 3 sides: obverse, reverse, edge. The edge is the ribbed edge of the coin. Therefore, this side is also called the rib. Previously, it was smooth, which is what counterfeiters used. The value of coins differs in the content of precious metals in them. Fraudsters cut off a portion and used it to produce counterfeit money. At the end of the 15th century, Isaac Newton proposed making grooves on the edge. If the edge was cut off the coin, it would become noticeable. Thanks to this decision, the cases with the manufacture of forgeries have sharply decreased.

Information about the appearance of the first paper notes varies. According to some sources, the first banknotes appeared in China in the 1st century BC. and were used more often as ritual money. Banknotes were burned together with the dead at a funeral pyre so that they did not need an afterlife. According to other information, paper notes appeared in the same China, but much later. In the 8th century A.D. banks have already been circulated. Putting money in them, the client received a receipt showing how many coins were on the account. When making a major transaction, people could not take money from the bank, but pay with a receipt.

The first electronic money appeared at the end of the 20th century. In connection with the development of computer networks, the Internet and the system of prepaid cards, the central banks of the leading countries of the world have officially recognized the existence of electronic money. The very concept of "electronic money" is very controversial - it is both a means of payment and an obligation of the issuer. On the other hand, banknotes used to be considered an obligation to be paid in gold or silver. This means that in the future, electronic denominations may become the same kind of money as coins or bills.

Interesting!

Money of the 21st century is a cryptocurrency. It is a monetary unit that resembles electronic money. Cryptocurrency cannot be counterfeited. Digital money is used without intermediaries like a bank.

Today, it is not necessary to keep banknotes or coins in stock to pay for purchases in a store or for services. This requires a bank card. If you need to get cash, you can use the services of an ATM, the first of which was installed in 1939. Nowadays, ATMs are located everywhere and in the farthest corners of the world too. For example, at the North Pole.

2008 went down in the history of the world economy as a period of record inflation. It happened in Zimbabwe. For the year, inflation in this country amounted to more than 200 million percent. In the end, the paper on which the money was printed began to cost more than the denomination of the bills.

Almost every country in the world has its own currency. However, the most common are the dollar and the euro. It is in this currency that most of the international payments take place. Also, reserve currencies include the following: yuan (China), yen (Japan), pound sterling (Great Britain).

With the development of technology, the number of cases of banknote counterfeiting has also increased. To protect banknotes from counterfeiters, they came up with secret signs on money. For example, a repeating pattern resembling a constellation will protect the bill from being photocopied or scanned.

Interesting!

Since the beginning of the 20th century, in some states, a kind of secret signs have been put on money, a kind of Masonic meaning that has come from the time of King Solomon. Most often, such symbols can be found on dollars.

In 2010, psychologist David Kruger co-authored a book with John Mann entitled Secret language money ", in which the doctor raises significant for modern society questions and tries to give answers to them, helping the reader understand how to relate to money, finance, change their monetary history. And the book of entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki "The Reasonable Investor" will answer the questions about how to invest money correctly.

Since its inception, money has evolved many times. From time to time and now, rather strange banknotes are issued.

Unusual money

The heaviest coin weighing over 1 kilogram was made in Australia. The obverse bears the profile of Elizabeth II, while the reverse is decorated with the image of a kangaroo. This is the most expensive coin in the world.

The heaviest coin in the Russian Federation was the one that was minted in the Russian Empire during the time of Catherine I. It weighed 1.6 kilograms. At the end of the 20th century, commemorative silver coins weighing more than 3 kilograms were minted. And 10 years later, a coin of pure gold was issued in Russia. The weight of each of these coins is 5 kg, and the denomination is 50 thousand.
The title of the smallest coin rightfully belongs to the Indian quarter made of silver, weighing less than 2 grams. This coin has long been out of circulation.

Unusual coins of Somalia are famous for their amazing shapes and colors and represent musical instruments, cars, motorcycles.
Wood money. In the town of Moose Joe, money was issued from wood, since at the beginning of the 20th century, when the war ended, there were few materials for making coins. Therefore, we tried to use the available ones.

Talking money. In 2008, Liberia launched an amazing coin. It depicts John F. Kennedy and there is a button, by clicking on it you can hear the phrase uttered by the president.
Money with holy water. At the beginning of the 21st century, a special coin was issued in Palau. The container in which the holy water was placed was mounted directly into the banknote.

Space coins. With the development of space tourism, coins with the image of planets were invented. For the manufacture, scientists used special durable materials.
Kissy money. In the 19th century, some African peoples used iron rods with flattened ends. The denomination depended on the length of the rod.
Disney coins. The company ordered to mint unique coins for children, which depict cartoon characters.

Embossed coins. Mongolia issues collectible coins depicting reliefs of endangered animal species. Instead of eyes, they have Swarovski crystals.
Paradise aroma. The release of a collection of coins with an amazing property - a pleasant aroma is dated 2009.

12/26/2019 at 11:01 AM · VeraSchegoleva · 180

Top 10 interesting and surprising facts about money

Money, of course, has magical powers that can change the human appearance beyond recognition. Both for the worse and for the better. Today, without them, it is impossible to imagine the existence of a modern society, our usual economic relations.

Despite the famous phrase “ money is evil " without them, just like without electricity, civilization can return to. Most of the professions that provide an opportunity for millions of people to earn money will disappear. Having lost their jobs, people will not think about a bright future and self-development, but about what to produce and what to exchange for it later.

In addition, we have collected for you another ten interesting things that you may not have known. So, we present to your attention the top 10 interesting facts about money. different nations peace for students in grades 3 - 6. Let's tell briefly about the most amazing stories about them.

10. The first paper money appeared in China

From the school curriculum, we know that paper was invented in. But the Chinese also invented the first paper money, which were more convenient than heavy iron coins. Valuables appeared in 812 and were issued to facilitate the life of merchants who, even without a load of coins, had to transport large weights of various goods from the Middle Kingdom.

Banknotes began to be printed during the Song Dynasty. Of course, in addition to taking care of the merchants, it was also about saving expensive metal, which could and should have been used for the more important needs of the Empire. Now it is difficult to imagine a world without paper bills. Moreover, with our prices for everything, it would be difficult to carry coins with us.

9.In 1934, $ 100,000 bills were issued

A denomination of five zeros was issued in 1934... It is hard to imagine what one could buy with one such banknote at that time. But the reserve fund, which printed and put into circulation this bill, saved the Americans from the difficulty of choosing, because it was created exclusively for large government transactions and transactions between banks.

It depicted the man who wrote the set of rules of the League of Nations, participated in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles - Woodrow Wilson. This same politician and public figure created the United States federal reserve system.

8. Alexander the Great was the first to point out to mint his profile on money

Alexander the Great inscribed his name in history as the most successful conqueror of all time. The brilliant military strategist was also a very smart politician. It is not surprising, because he himself was his teacher.

In addition to all his merits, Macedonian is also famous for the fact that it is his profile was the first to be printed on coins that were circulated from Greece to North Africa... The money minted under him influenced the future of coins in almost every part of the land.

Some of the symbols he introduced are used for banknotes to this day. Now portraits famous people depicted mainly on paper bills, but it is the coins that are most often collected for their original appearance throughout history.

7. The first person whose name was placed on a coin was Julius Caesar.

When Rome conquered more and more new lands, becoming the strongest civilization in the world, the Roman rulers gained political influence, power and glory, like the gods.

The Roman emperor known then and now all over the world Julius Caesar was the first person whose name adorned a coin... In addition to "Caesar", the coin depicted an elephant as a symbol of the emperor. This is another achievement in Caesar's piggy bank. In memory of this great man, there are many sights and a coin with his name is one of them.

6. The first ATM in the world appeared in 1939

To date, there are more than two million ATMs installed in the world, in which each owner of plastic cards can cash out money, or, conversely, deposit them into a bank account. In addition to the usual places such as the airport, a large shopping and entertainment center, a couple of devices operate at the North Pole.

The first prototype of the familiar ATM was invented in America in 1939... But plastic cards were invented much later and the first ATM accepted a special paper called a voucher. The voucher allowed you to withdraw a limited, very small amount. The safety of the funds was ensured by the wall thickness of one and a half centimeters.

IN modern world the fastest and most convenient way to withdraw cash from bank cards is ATMs.

5. Mass production of round coins was established for the first time in ancient Rome

The Romans were famous for their education, sense of beauty, military successes and scientific achievements. But not everyone knows that The Roman Empire was the first to launch the mass production of round coins... Even the word “coin” itself is one of the names of the ancient Roman goddess. In addition, this was the name of the first Roman mint, which began issuing round-shaped money.

4. Fraudsters cut the edges off precious metal coins

An interesting method of fraud was invented at a time when coins were made exclusively from precious metals. Talented crooks guessed to carefully saw down the edges in order to cast new ones from the shavings.

Isaac Newton put an end to these shenanigans, having guessed to apply a thread called a herd to the edges of the coins. This helped to identify cut coins and catch the cunning by the hand.

3. Gold is not subject to inflation

, like many other things over time, lose their value and can cause losses to the owner. A completely different story happens with. A precious metal not only does not lose in price, but also vice versa, every year it becomes more expensive... This is primarily due to the fact that gold reserves, like other natural resources, are limited.

In order for the reader to understand how rare this metal is, it is worth saying that more steel is mined in the world every hour than people have received gold in the entire history of its mining. In addition, this metal is also of strategic importance, because it is used not only in, but also in electronics and military equipment.

2. Banknote with the largest denomination in the world - 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars

A huge figure of one hundred trillion flaunts on the bill of the distant African country of Zimbabwe... The reader can turn his head and the denomination of this banknote and the fact that in addition to the amount it has such a familiar and desired word "dollar".

But the cost of this monetary unit is so small that the country's authorities even passed a law prohibiting wiping with such bills, because you can't even buy toilet paper with it.

1. Canadian record: 100 kg coin in 999 gold

Canadian coin weighing one hundred kilograms was struck by the Royal Mint relatively recently... In 2007, a record size coin with a diameter of more than fifty centimeters was issued as a commemorative symbol and was named “The Great Maple Leaf”. The face value of this work of art is equal to one million Canadian dollars, but its cost is much higher.

Based on the cost of a gram of gold today, such a coin has a price of more than four and a half million dollars. The maple leaf, which is the symbol of Canada, is depicted on the reverse side, and the profile of the British Queen Elizabeth II flaunts on the front.