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Lydia was the first kingdom to create a minted currency, making them extremely wealthy. They made their coins out of electrum a naturally occurring mix between silver and gold, and they printed figures on the coins to determine value.
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Around 600 B.C.E. the Chinese created the first real attempt at currency. They made miniature figures of various tools to be used as currency.
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In China at this time they had moved to leather money, reasonably considered the first real banknote
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The first paper currency also appeared in China and it lasted for around 500 years until inflation caused them to drift away from paper money for a time.
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String beads made from clam shells, used as currency by Native Americans.
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In Britain they began to use gold to back up currency each banknote representing a certain amount of gold.
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Due to the worldwide depression in the 1930's the gold standard ended leading to the creation of the complex monetary systems of today.