Dig into your pockets and pull out some change. If you’re in the U.S., you’ll probably find some crumpled cash and a couple not-so-shiny coins. They may not look like much, but what you’re holding is a handful of history.
Your beaten-up buck is part of the long line of dollar bills printed in the U.S. since 1862. The quarter was introduced in 1796, and the penny appeared three years prior, in 1793. You probably have some in your possession, abandoned at the bottom of your bag.
Of course, the history of human currency stretches far further than the 18th and 19th centuries. As one of the chief underpinnings of human civilization, the use of cash and coins has been ongoing for thousands of years. But when did it start, and what were the world’s first forms of currency?
