Can you name all of the non-metalic and non-paper substances that have been used as money over the ages, along with naming the groups of people who used these substances in exactly the same manner that we use dollar bills and quarters today?

satguru

The first that come to mind are shells, especially cowrie shells used in the Pacific islands. And of course bartering has always been used as well as currency but it only becomes currency when standardised and a certain commodity has a universal exchange potential. And if you include private agreements within countries plastic gambling chips are used worldwide. Dec 31 06, 9:50 AM

zbeckabee

This is a nice link: c. 3000 - c. 2000 BC Development of Banking in Mesopotamia -- Banking originates in Babylonia out of the activities of temples and palaces which provided safe places for the storage of valuables. Initially deposits of grain are accepted and later other goods including cattle, agricultural implements, and precious metals. http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/amser/chrono.html Dec 31 06, 10:46 AM

BOB501

can think of several salt-Romans rocks - Yap shells -as mentioned-natives animals -lots of different kinds depending where pelts- fur traders to name a few Dec 31 06, 11:06 AM

What-A-Mess

wam·pum 1. Also called peag, seawan, sewan. cylindrical beads made from shells, pierced and strung, used by North American Indians as a medium of exchange, for ornaments, and for ceremonial and sometimes spiritual purposes, esp. such beads when white but also including the more valuable black or dark-purple varieties. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wampum http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wampum Dec 31 06, 2:55 PM

Baloo55th

Plastic banknotes are issued in some countries, uncluding Australia, New Zealand and Romania. http://www.polymernotes.org/country_pages/rou.htm And plastic coins were issued in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands up to 1977. Dec 31 06, 3:33 PM