by Velora
Relax your mind with strange and fascinating facts about currencies from around the world and throughout history. Shared in a calm, soothing tone, these curious details help quiet your thoughts and gently guide you into restful sleep. Voice: Louise Porter Music: Enlightened Audio
Transcript
The first coins were made in Lydia, Around 600 BCE. Some ancient cultures used cowrie shells as money. Salt was once used as a form of currency. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. The word salary comes from the Latin for salt. Raj stones in Micronesia could be as large as cars. The Yap people used giant stone disks as money. Cocoa beans were once used as money by the Aztecs. In colonial America, Tobacco was used as money. Russia once used squirrel pelts as currency. Whale teeth were used as money in Fiji. Tea bricks were used as money in ancient China. Knives were once used as money in China. Cowrie shells were used for trade in Africa. The island of Yap still recognizes stone money. Large feathers were once used as a currency in the Solomon Islands. The word buck comes from trading deer hides. Some prisons used ramen noodles as currency. Cigarettes have often been used as prison money. A Swedish king once issued coins weighing 19 kilograms. The largest banknote ever was 100, 000 pesos from the Philippines. Some ancient tribes used giant stone wheels as money. Salt was once so valuable, It was used as currency. Vikings traded with bars of soft, Bendable silver. In ancient China, People used tiny bronze knives as money. Seashells were once accepted as cash across many islands. Paper money first appeared because metal coins were too heavy. Canada once made glow-in-the-dark banknotes. Some countries print money on plastic instead of paper. Old Roman coins sometimes doubled as tiny good luck charms. Early banks used feathers and beads as trade tokens. Zimbabwe once had a trillion-dollar banknote. Hungary issued the highest-denomination banknote, 100 quintillion pengu. The U. S. Once printed a 100, 000-dollar bill. Canada once issued a 1, 000-dollar banknote. The euro is used by 20 European countries. The British pound is the oldest currency still in use. Some banknotes are made of polymer instead of paper. Australia was the first to issue polymer notes. Canadian banknotes once had a smell of maple syrup. Mongolia issued notes featuring Genghis Khan. Scottish banks issue their own banknotes. The Swiss franc has vertical banknotes. Some coins have holes in the middle. Japanese yen coins include ones with holes. Some currencies use animals as symbols. New Zealand banknotes feature native birds. Canada's five-dollar bill once showed children playing hockey. Some coins glow in the dark. Palau issued a coin with a piece of meteorite. The Cook Islands once issued a triangular coin. Somalia issued coins shaped like guitars. Mongolia issued talking coins with tiny speakers. Tuvalu issued coins featuring Disney characters. Niue issued coins featuring Star Wars characters. Canada issued a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur coin. Latvia issued a coin shaped like a honeycomb. Some gold coins are made for collectors only. The largest gold coin weighs one metric ton. The Canadian Big Maple Leaf coin was worth one million dollars. Some coins are made for collectors only. Some coins are made of silver instead of copper. The U. S. Penny once contained real copper. In World War II, U. S. Pennies were made of steel. Some coins were made from melted weapons. Ancient coins often had gods and rulers. Some ancient coins showed animals instead of people. A U. S. Two-dollar bill still exists but is rarely used. A U. S. Half-cent coin was once circulated. Canada discontinued its penny in 2012. The euro cent is disliked for being too small. Some coins have scalloped edges. Hong Kong once issued coins with a crown hole. The first paper money was used in China. Marco Polo wrote about paper money in China. Some early banknotes were handwritten. Confederate money lost all value after the Civil War. Some currencies feature famous writers. Banknotes often include hidden watermarks. Modern banknotes use holograms for security. Some bills have raised bumps for the blind. In North Korea, Only special stores accept foreign money. Cuba once had separate money for tourists. In Venezuela, Inflation reduced currency value quickly. Some countries have changed currencies multiple times. Germany once used the Deutschmark. Italy once used the lira. France once used the franc. Spain once used the peseta. Greece once used the drachma. Many countries now use the U. S. Dollar. Panama uses both the U. S. Dollar and the Balboa. Ecuador adopted the U. S. Dollar in 2000. Zimbabwe abandoned its currency in 2009. Some currencies have expiration dates. Banknotes can sometimes melt in heat. Polymer notes are harder to tear. Some notes change color in sunlight. Old U. S. Bills were larger than modern ones. Some bills include secret symbols. The one-dollar bill has many hidden details. In Scotland, Banks must back notes with gold. Switzerland redesigns its notes regularly. Some banknotes are more expensive than others. Feature astronauts. Canada issued a coin with a hologram. Some gold coins are legal tender, But worth much more. Collector coins are often not used in shops. Some countries issue coins for holidays. Some currencies are worth less than a U. S. Cent. The most counterfeited note is the U. S. $20 bill. Currency designs change constantly around the world. The first coins were made in Lydia, Around 600 B. C. E. Some ancient cultures used cowrie shells as money. Salt was once used as a form of currency. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. The word salary comes from the Latin for salt. Raj stones in Micronesia could be as large as cars. The Yap people used salt as a currency. Giant stone disks were used as money. Cocoa beans were once used as money by the Aztecs. In colonial America, Tobacco was used as money. Russia once used squirrel pelts as currency. Whale teeth were used as money in Fiji. Tea bricks were used as money in ancient China. Knives were once used as money in China. Cowrie shells were used for trade in Africa. The island of Yap still recognizes stone money. Large feathers were once used as a currency in the Solomon Islands. The word buck comes from trading deer hides. Some prisons were used as currency. Ramen noodles were used as currency. Cigarettes have often been used as prison money. A Swedish king once issued coins weighing 19 kilograms. The largest banknote ever was 100, 000 pesos from the Philippines. Some ancient tribes used giant stone wheels as money. Salt was once so valuable it was used as currency. Vikings traded with bars of soft, Bendable silver. In ancient China, People used tiny bronze knives as money. Seashells were once accepted as cash across many islands. Paper money first appeared because metal coins were too heavy. Canada once made glow-in-the-dark banknotes. Some countries print money on plastic instead of paper. Old Roman coins sometimes doubled as tiny good luck charms. Early banks used feathers and beads as trade tokens. Zimbabwe once had a trillion-dollar banknote. Hungary issued the highest-denomination banknote, 100 quintillion pengu. The U. S. Once printed a 100, 000-dollar bill. Canada once issued a 1, 000-dollar banknote. The euro is used by 20 European countries. The British pound is the oldest currency still in use. Some banknotes are made of polymer instead of paper. Australia was the first to issue polymer notes. Canadian banknotes once had a smell of maple syrup. Mongolia issued notes featuring Genghis Khan. Scottish banks issue their own banknotes. The Swiss franc has vertical banknotes. Some coins have holes in the middle. Japanese yen coins include ones with holes. Some currencies use animals as symbols. New Zealand banknotes feature native birds. Canada's five-dollar bill once showed children playing hockey. Some coins glow in the dark. Palau issued a coin with a piece of meteorite. The Cook Islands once issued a triangular coin. Somalia issued coins shaped like guitars. Mongolia issued talking coins with tiny speakers. Tuvalu issued coins featuring Disney characters. Niue issued coins featuring Star Wars characters. Canada issued a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur coin. Latvia issued a coin shaped like a honeycomb. Some gold coins are made for collectors only. The largest gold coin weighs one metric ton. The Canadian big maple leaf coin was worth one million dollars. Some coins are made of silver instead of copper. The U. S. Penny once contained real copper. In World War II, U. S. Pennies were made of steel. Some coins were made from metal. Some coins were made from melted weapons. Ancient coins often had gods and rulers. Some ancient coins showed animals instead of people. A U. S. Two-dollar bill still exists but is rarely used. A U. S. Half-cent coin was once circulated. Canada discontinued its penny in 2012. The euro cent is disliked for being too small. Some coins have scalloped edges. Hong Kong once issued coins with a crown hole. The first paper money was used in China. Marco Polo wrote about paper money in China. Some early banknotes were handwritten. Confederate money lost all value after the Civil War. Some currencies feature famous writers. Banknotes often include hidden watermarks. Modern banknotes use holograms. Some bills have raised bumps for the blind. In North Korea, Only special stores accept foreign money. Cuba once had separate money for tourists. In Venezuela, Inflation reduced currency value. Some countries have changed currencies multiple times. Germany once used the Deutsche Mark. Italy once used the Lira. France once used the Franc. Spain once used the Peseta. Greece once used the Drachma. Many countries now use the U. S. Dollar. Panama uses both the U. S. Dollar and the Balboa. Ecuador adopted the U. S. Dollar in 2000. Zimbabwe abandoned its currency in 2009. Some currencies have expiration dates. Banknotes can sometimes melt. Polymer notes are harder to tear. Some notes change color in sunlight. Old U. S. Bills were larger than modern ones. Some bills include secret symbols. The one-dollar bill has many hidden details. In Scotland, Banks must back notes with gold. Switzerland redesigns its notes regularly. Some banknotes feature astronauts. Canada issued a coin with a hologram. Some gold coins are legal tender, But worth much more. Collector coins are often not used. They are not used in shops. Some countries issue coins for holidays. Some currencies are worth less than a U. S. Cent. The most counterfeited note is the U. S. $20 bill. Currency designs change constantly around the world. The first coins were made in Lydia around 600 BCE. Some ancient cultures used cowrie shells as money. Salt was once used as a form of currency. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. The word salary comes from the Latin for salt. Raj stones in Micronesia could be as large as a stone. They could be as large as cars. The Yap people used giant stone disks as money. Cocoa beans were once used as money by the Aztecs. In colonial America, Tobacco was used as money. Russia once used squirrel pelts as currency. Whale teeth were used as money in Fiji. Tea bricks were used as money in ancient China. Knives were once used as money in China. Cowrie shells were used for trade in Africa. The island of Yap still recognizes stone money. Large feathers were once used as a currency in the Solomon Islands. The word buck comes from trading deer hides. Some prisons used ramen noodles as currency. Cigarettes have often been used as prison money. A Swedish king once issued coins weighing 90 pounds. The largest banknote ever was 100, 000 pesos from the Philippines. Some ancient tribes used giant stone wheels as money. Salt was once so valuable it was used as currency. Vikings traded with bars of soft, Bendable silver. In ancient China, People used tiny bronze knives as money. Seashells were once accepted as cash across many islands. Paper money first appeared because metal coins were too heavy. Canada once made glow-in-the-dark banknotes. Some countries print money on plastic instead of paper. Old Roman coins sometimes doubled as tiny good luck charms. Early banks used feathers and beads as trade tokens. Zimbabwe once had a trillion-dollar banknote. Hungary issued the highest-denomination banknote, 100 quintillion pengu. The U. S. Once printed a $100, 000 bill. Canada once issued a $1, 000 banknote. The euro is used by 20 European countries. The British pound is the oldest currency still in use. Some banknotes are made of polymer instead of paper. Australia was the first to issue polymers. Canadian banknotes once had a smell of maple syrup. Mongolia issued notes featuring Genghis Khan. Scottish banks issue their own banknotes. The Swiss franc has vertical banknotes. Some coins have holes in the middle. Japanese yen coins include ones with holes. Some currencies use animals as symbols. New Zealand banknotes feature native birds. Canada's $5 bill once showed children playing hockey. Some coins glow in the dark. Palau issued a coin with a piece of meteorite. The Cook Islands once issued a triangular coin. Somalia issued coins shaped like guitars. Mongolia issued talking coins with tiny speakers. Tuvalu issued coins featuring Disney characters. Niue issued coins featuring Star Wars characters. Canada issued a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur coin. Latvia issued a coin shaped like a honeycomb. Some gold coins are made for collectors only. The largest gold coin weighs one metric ton. The Canadian Big Maple Leaf coin is one metric ton. This gold coin was worth $1 million. Some coins are made of silver instead of copper. The U. S. Penny once contained real copper. In World War II, U. S. Pennies were made of steel. Some coins were made from melted weapons. Ancient coins often had gods and rulers. Some ancient coins showed animals instead of people. A U. S. $2 bill still exists, But is rarely used. A U. S. Half-cent coin was once circulated. Canada discontinued its penny in 2012. The euro cent is disliked for being too small. Some coins have scalloped edges. Hong Kong once issued coins with a crown hole. The first paper money was used in China. Marco Polo wrote about paper money in China. Some early banknotes were handwritten. Confederate money lost all value after the Civil War. Some currencies feature famous writers. Banknotes often include hidden watermarks. Modern banknotes use holograms. Some bills have raised bumps for the blind. In North Korea, Only special stores accept foreign money. Cuba once had separate money for tourists. In Venezuela, Inflation reduced currency values. Some countries have changed currencies multiple times. Germany once used the Deutsche Mark. Italy once used the Lira. France once used the Franc. Spain once used the Peseta. Greece once used the Drachma. Many countries now use the U. S. Dollar. Panama uses both the U. S. Dollar and the Balboa. Ecuador adopted the U. S. Dollar in 2000. Zimbabwe abandoned its currency in 2009. Some currencies have expiration dates. Banknotes can sometimes melt. Polymer notes are harder to tear. Some notes change color in sunlight. Old U. S. Bills were larger than modern ones. Some bills include secret symbols. The one-dollar bill has many hidden details. In Scotland, Banks must back notes with gold. Switzerland redesigns its notes regularly. Some banknotes feature astronauts. Canada issued a coin with a hologram. Some gold coins are legal tender, But worth much more. Collector coins are often not used. Some countries issue coins for holidays. Some currencies are worth less than a U. S. Cent. The most counterfeited note is the U. S. $20 bill. Currency designs change constantly around the world. The first coins were made in Lydia around 600 B. C. E. Some ancient cultures used cowrie shells as money. Salt was once used as a form of currency. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. The word salary comes from the Latin for salt. Raj stones in Micronesia could be as large as a stone. They could be as large as cars. The Yap people used giant stone disks as money. Cocoa beans were once used as money by the Aztecs. In colonial America, Tobacco was used as money. Russia once used squirrel pelts as currency. Whale teeth were used as money in Fiji. Tea bricks were used as money in ancient China. Knives were once used as money in China. Cowrie shells were used for trade in Africa. The island of Yap still recognizes stone money. Large feathers were once used as a currency in the Solomon Islands. The word buck comes from trading deer hides. Some prisons used ramen noodles as currency. Cigarettes have often been used as prison money. A Swedish king once issued coins weighing 90 pounds. The largest banknote ever was 100, 000 pesos from the Philippines. Some ancient tribes used giant stone wheels as money. Salt was once so valuable, It was used as currency. Vikings traded with bars of soft, Bendable silver. In ancient China, People used tiny bronze knives as money. Seashells were once accepted as cash across many islands. Paper money first appeared because metal coins were too heavy. Canada once made glow-in-the-dark banknotes. Some countries print money on plastic instead of paper. Old Roman coins sometimes doubled as tiny good luck charms. Early banks used feathers and beads as trade tokens. Zimbabwe once had a trillion-dollar banknote. Hungary issued the highest-denomination banknote, 100 quintillion pengő. The U. S. Once printed a $100, 000 bill. Canada once issued a $1, 000 banknote. The euro is used by 20 European countries. The British pound is the oldest currency still in use. Some banknotes are made of polymer instead of paper. Australia was the first to issue polystyrene banknotes. Canadian banknotes once had a smell of maple syrup. Mongolia issued notes featuring Genghis Khan. Scottish banks issue their own banknotes. The Swiss franc has vertical banknotes. Some coins have holes in the middle. Japanese yen coins include ones with holes. Some currencies use animals as symbols. New Zealand banknotes feature native birds. Canada's $5 bill once showed children playing hockey. Some coins glow in the dark.
