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1、UnitOnePassage1Aristotle,theGreekphilosopher,summedupthefourchiefqualitiesofmoneysome2,000yearsago.Itmustbelastingandeasytorecognize,todivide,andtocarryabout.Inotherwordsitmustbe,‘durable,distinct,divisibleandportable’.Whenwethinkofmoneytoday,wepictureiteitherasround,flatpiecesofmetalwhichw
2、ecallcoins,orasprintedpapernotes.Buttherearestillpartsoftheworldtodaywherecoinsandnotesareofnouse.Theywillbuynothing,andatravelermightstarveifhehadnoneoftheparticularlocal‘money’toexchangeforfood.Amongisolatedpeoples,whoarenotoftenreachedbytradersfromoutside,commerceusuallymeansbarter.There
3、isadirectexchangeofgoods.Perhapsitisfishforvegetables,meatforgrain,orvariouskindsoffoodinexchangeforpots,baskets,orothermanufacturedgoods.Forthiskindofsimpletrading,moneyisnotneeded,butthereisoftensomethingthateveryonewantsandeverybodycanuse,suchassalttoflavorfood,shellsforornaments,orirona
4、ndcoppertomakeintotoolsandvessels.Thesethings-salt,shellsormetals-arestillusedasmoneyinout-of-the-waypartsoftheworldtoday.Saltmayseemratherastrangesubstancetouseasmoney,butincountrieswherethefoodofthepeopleismainlyvegetable,itisoftenanabsolutenecessity.Cakesofsalt,stampedtoshowtheirvalue,we
5、reusedasmoneyinTibetuntilrecenttimes,andcakesofsaltwillstillbuygoodsinBorneoandpartsofAfrica.CowriesseashellshavebeenusedasmoneyatsometimeoranotheroverthegreaterpartoftheOldWorld.ThesecollectedmainlyfromthebeachesoftheMaldivesIslandsintheIndianOcean,andweretradedtoIndiaandChina.InAfrica,cow
6、riesweretradedrightacrossthecontinentfromEasttoWest.FourorfivethousandandwentforoneMariaTheresadollar,anAustriansilvercoinwhichwasonceacceptedascurrencyinmanypartsofAfrica.Metal,valuedbyweight,precededcoinsinmanypartsoftheworld.Iron,inlumps,barsorringsisstillusedinmanycountriesinsteadofmone
7、y.Itcaneitherbeexchangedforgoods,ormadeintotools,weaponsorornaments.TheearlymoneyofChina,apartfromshells,wasofbronze,ofteninflat,roundpieceswithaholeinthemiddle,called‘cash’.Theearliestofthesearebetweenthreethousandandfourthousandyearsold-olderthantheear
