It took many years and countless small innovations for banknotes to evolve into the sophisticated product we know today. The account below looks at some of the highlights in an eventful history.
1350 years old and still in demand
Money is so much a part of our daily lives that we seldom give a thought to its origins. In fact, the human race was several thousand years old before people began to recognise how useful money could be and it came into general use.
Human societies created payment systems according to their needs and the available resources. Some of the earlier systems showed remarkable ingenuity.
In the stone age, people lived in small, rigidly structured communities subsisting on hunting, fishing and gathering. Without surpluses, there was no exchange of produce.
In the stone age, people lived in small, rigidly structured communities subsisting on hunting, fishing and gathering. Without surpluses, there was no exchange of produce.
