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The Money Portal

Euro coins and banknotes

A United States dollar bill, two five-cent coins and a penny

Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store of value and sometimes, a standard of deferred payment.

Money was historically an emergent market phenomenon that possess intrinsic value as a commodity; nearly all contemporary money systems are based on unbacked fiat money without use value. Its value is consequently derived by social convention, having been declared by a government or regulatory entity to be legal tender; that is, it must be accepted as a form of payment within the boundaries of the country, for "all debts, public and private", in the case of the United States dollar.

The money supply of a country comprises all currency in circulation (banknotes and coins currently issued) and, depending on the particular definition used, one or more types of bank money (the balances held in checking accounts, savings accounts, and other types of bank accounts). Bank money, whose value exists on the books of financial institutions and can be converted into physical notes or used for cashless payment, forms by far the largest part of broad money in developed countries. (Full article...)

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Foreign exchange reserves (also called forex reserves or FX reserves) are cash and other reserve assets such as gold held by a central bank or other monetary authority that are primarily available to balance payments of the country, influence the foreign exchange rate of its currency, and to maintain confidence in financial markets. Reserves are held in one or more reserve currencies, nowadays mostly the United States dollar and to a lesser extent the euro.

Foreign exchange reserves assets can comprise banknotes, bank deposits, and government securities of the reserve currency, such as bonds and treasury bills. Some countries hold a part of their reserves in gold, and special drawing rights are also considered reserve assets. Often, for convenience, the cash or securities are retained by the central bank of the reserve or other currency and the "holdings" of the foreign country are tagged or otherwise identified as belonging to the other country without them actually leaving the vault of that central bank. From time to time they may be physically moved to the home or another country. (Full article...)

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The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (Spanish: Real de a ocho, Dólar, Peso duro, Peso fuerte or Peso), is a silver coin of approximately 38 mm (1.5 in) diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content 25.563 g (0.8219 ozt) fine silver. It was widely used as the first international currency because of its uniformity in standard and milling characteristics. Some countries countermarked the Spanish dollar so it could be used as their local currency.

Because the Spanish dollar was widely used in Europe, America, and the Far East, it became the first world currency by the 16th century. (Full article...)

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... that Richard Platt, a master brewer, founded Aldenham School and arranged for the Company of Brewers to pay the boys beer money?
... that Adam Kincaid of the National Republican Redistricting Trust defended lowered competition in US House elections, arguing that the changes would save the party money?
... that according to the game's best player, you can make more money working at McDonald's than by winning major Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments?
... that Neha Pendse, the lead actress of the Marathi film June, contributed some of her own money towards its production?
... that the Gould Memorial Library once hosted pie-throwing contests to raise money?
... that according to legend, the Jain temple of Pisanhari Ki Marhia was built by a poor old woman who saved up money by milling flour?
... that after qualifying on the pole at a late-model stock car race, Ty Majeski chose to start at the rear for a chance to win more money—and won the race?
... that two hagiographic documents about St. Hunegund of France publicized Hunegund's miracles to create a sense of identity in Homblières and to raise money for the monastery?

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The following are images from various currency-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Song Dynasty Jiaozi, the world's earliest paper money (from Money)
Image 2Athens coin (c. 500/490-485 BC) discovered in Pushkalavati. This coin is the earliest known example of its type to be found so far east. (from Punch-marked coins)
Image 3Tibetan silver tangka with Ranjana (Lantsa) script, dated 15-28 (= AD 1894), reverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 4Huizi currency, issued in 1160 (from Money)
Image 5President J. K. Paasikivi illustrated in a former Finnish 10 mark banknote from 1980 (from Money)
Image 6Undated Kelzang tangka (1910), reverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 7Tibetan "gaden" Tangka, undated (ca. AD 1840), obverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 8A 1914 British gold sovereign (from Money)
Image 9Tibetan silver tangka with Ranjana (Lantsa) script, dated 15-28 (= AD 1894), obverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 10A person counts a bundle of different Swedish banknotes. (from Money)
Image 11Sino Tibetan silver tangka, dated 58th year of Qian Long era, obverse. Weight 5.57 g. Diameter: 30 mm (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 12Tibetan undated silver tangka, struck in 1953/54, obverse. (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 13Sino Tibetan silver tangka, dated 58th year of Qian Long era, reverse. Weight 5.57 g. Diameter: 30 mm (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 14Tenga of Muhammad Khudayar Khan, struck at the Kokand mint, dated 1862–1863 (from Kokand tenga)
Image 15Tibetan undated silver tangka, struck in 1953/54, reverse. (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 16Gold coins are an example of legal tender that are traded for their intrinsic value, rather than their face value. (from Money)
Image 17Printing paper money at a printing press in Perm (from Money)
Image 18US dollar banknotes (from Money)
Image 19Tibetan "gaden" Tangka, undated (ca. AD 1840), reverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 20Punch-marked coins discovered from Chandraketugarh. (from Punch-marked coins)
Image 21A United States dollar bill, two five-cent coins and a penny (from Money)
Image 22Undated Kelzang tangka (1910), obverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 23A 640 BC one-third stater electrum coin from Lydia (from Money)
Image 24A hoard of mostly Mauryan punch-marked coins (from Punch-marked coins)
Image 25Tibetan kong par tangka, dated 13-45 (= AD 1791),reverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 26Tibetan undated silver tangka (2nd half of 18th century) with eight times the syllable "dza" in vartula script,reverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 27"Bent bar" minted under Achaemenid administration, Gandhara, c.350 BC. (from Punch-marked coins)
Image 28Paper money from different countries (from Money)
Image 29Money Base, M1 and M2 in the U.S. from 1981 to 2012 (from Money)
Image 30Banknotes of different currencies with a face value of 5000 (from Money)
Image 31Tibetan undated silver tangka (2nd half of 18th century) with eight times the syllable "dza" in vartula script,obverse (from Tibetan tangka)
Image 32A check, used as a means of converting funds in a demand deposit to cash (from Money)
Image 33Tibetan kong par tangka, dated 13-45 (= AD 1791),obverse (from Tibetan tangka)