Money is the universal commodity equivalent, with their help it is possible to express the value of any goods and services. By themselves, they are a unique product through which you can carry out the functions of exchange, measure value, make payments, and accumulate wealth.
Money in antiquity
Once the economy was exclusively barter, when goods were exchanged directly for goods, money as such did not exist. However, over time it became inconvenient to do this, since a division of labor appeared. To make an exchange on barter, it was necessary to find a person who would need exactly those services that the second person could provide. For example, an actor, to get a haircut, would need to find a hairdresser who was interested in the work and roles of this actor.
To facilitate the process of exchanging goods, people came up with a kind of equivalent with which it was possible to make payments and pay. In some ancient countries, kauri shells were used; they were used as money among the peoples of Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Even such ancient civilizations as India, China and Japan used such "money."
One form of expression of value before the invention of money was cattle. With the discovery of copper and bronze, the first coins began to be made from these metals, then gold became the equivalent of value, and money began to be made from it. Over time, the coins acquired a round shape, the same weight, became convenient to use. Their main parameters and solvency were already protected by states. With the expansion of commodity exchange and services, it became inconvenient to carry a large number of coins with them, and people began to look for a replacement for them.
