/biz/ - Business & Finance

>>8141815

Some simple use case rules evolved to make gold and silver money:

1. Can't be a gas.
2. Can't corrode in the air.
3. Can't burst into flames in the air.
4. Can't kill you.
5. Has to be rare.

That leaves you with: Rhodium, Palladium, Silver, Platinum and Gold. Rhodium and Palladium weren't discovered until the 1800s. Platinum's a fucker to fashion into anything because it melts at 3000 degrees so couldn't coin it.

Which left gold and silver. Which is why in the etymology of most languages it exists in some form for cash (usually silver actually).

1. Pound Sterling - (1lb .925 alloy Sterling Silver - Sterling from the "Starling" a small silver coin minted to pay off vikings).

2. L'Argent (French word for money. Also the French word for Silver.)

3. Geld (German word for money. Also the German word for Gold).

4. Plata (Spanish slang for cash. Also the Spanish word for Silver).

5. Dinero (Spanish word for money. Based on the standard issue silver roman coin the Denarius).

6. Dinar (Currency unit in seven Islamic and two Orthodox Christian countries - similar to Spanish based on the Roman on the standard issue silver roman coin the Denarius.)

7. 银行 (Yinhang) (Chinese for Bank but also Silver Broker - 银 (Yin) meaning Silver).

8. $ - (Symbol for the United States dollar, S - Silver, dollar denoting a unit exchange for 371.25 grains (troy) fine silver).

I'm sure there are other examples however basically materials science, sociology and the inherited history of not just your language and culture but those of civilized societies all across the planet have all recognised Silver and Gold as money. Gold as the currency of Kings. Silver as the currency of Gentlemen. Copper or barter for peasants. Debt for slaves. You just happen to be living in one of the many brief aberrations from this patterns in history - however it is a unique moment in history and I have no doubt cryptocurrencies and blockchain will be hugely important.