The history of money concerns the development of means of carrying out transactions involving a physical medium of exchange. Money is any clearly identificable object of value that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts within a market or which is legal within a country.
Many things have been used as medium of exchange in markets including, for example, livestock and sacks of cereal grain things directly useful in themselves, but also sometimes merely attractive items such as cowry shells or beads were exchanged for more useful commodities. precious metals, from which early coins were made, fall into this second category.
