When Was Money Invented?
Answer: Money was invented many thousands of years ago. We know that early Egyptian civilizations traded precious minerals, for example.
In Old Testament times, people traded gold and silver by its weight, rather than using coins.
By New Testament times, people throughout the Roman Empire used coins to buy and sell.
Key verses: So they left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev Abram with his wife and Lot and all that they owned, for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. (Genesis 13:1-2)
Related verses: Genesis 2:11-12
Related questions: When did money start, and why? Who invented money? Who made up the idea of money?
Why Are Those Little Pieces Of Paper Worth So Much?
Answer: It may seem strange that a little piece of paper, like a dollar bill, is worth so much.
Actually, the paper itself isn’t worth very much at all. The paper of a one- dollar bill is worth less than a penny.
But the one-dollar bill has worth because the government says it does. It is worth 100 pennies.
The federal government says how much each special piece of paper is worth.
And only the government can print money.
If you drew your own money on paper, it wouldn’t be worth anything, even if you said it was.
Key verses: “Here, show me the Roman coin used for the tax.” When they handed him the coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s, they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” (Matthew 22:19-21)
Related verses: Job 28:15-19
Related question: What does “means of exchange” mean?
Why Are There All Different Kinds Of Money?
Answer: One reason is that each country makes its own money. Other differences come from different denominations of money.
Coins and bills are made with different values so money will be easy to manage.
If the only kind of money were the penny, you would have to carry bags and bags of pennies to buy groceries.
Some people have a lot of fun collecting different kinds of money.
They make a hobby of collecting coins and bills from all over the world and from different times in history.
Key verses: [The Pharisees asked,] “Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”
But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Whom are you trying to fool with your trick questions?
Here, show me the Roman coin used for the tax.” When they handed him the coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to him.
But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” (Matthew 22:17-21)
Related verse: 1 King 10:10
Related questions: How does money work? How does the country’s money system work?
Note to parents: If your child shows a lot of interest in this, you could start a collection of different types of money from different countries.
You could even use the money as a way of studying those countries’ cultures.