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Coin currency is almost as old as civilization, dating back thousands of years. But paper currency is a relatively new concept. The Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) Dynasties are credited with developing a representative paper money system where merchants exchanged heavy coins for receipts of deposit. These and promissory notes from wholesalers were some of the earliest paper currencies. Later, the Song government gave certain shops the sole right to issue banknotes, but later took over these shops to produce a state-issued currency themselves. During the same time period, the Islamic world was developing a stable currency system. In Europe, the first paper money was introduced in Sweden in 1661.
Paper money is more than payment for goods and services or repayment of debts. It is history. It is art. Almost every society in the world has developed some of paper money system, which reflects the story of their culture. We are happy to share our collection of paper currencies from around the world with you. Please let us know if we can help you locate something specific.
