As usual, the history of emergence of daily things originates in darkness of centuries, and on its branches clusters bold speculations and unexpected guesses grow. The history of emergence of money — not an exception. Surprising feature of such thing as money, the fact that any researcher is occupied more by a question where money disappears than from where they came is.
Large philosophers, including Lenin and Karl Marx reflected on the causes of money in all centuries. There is a lot of theories of emergence of money, but if to generalize all knowledge of this subject and its role in the human environment formulated by philosophers, then it will turn out approximately so: nobody ever invented money. They arose spontaneously and were a part of more developed human relations. And the base for emergence of money was that each person could make more products, than consume. Therefore it was required to exchange these products for other products. That is, need something became prerequisites of emergence and application of money to pay for surplus of food, clothes and other goods.
Philosophers could not explain essence of money, their huge creative and destructive strength, the huge power over minds and hearts of people. It is possible because were owners of purses with coins and notes. And to analyze the phenomenon from within the phenomenon — the same as, like Myunhausen, to drag itself for hair from the swamp.
What do we know about history of money?
Of course, to study subject history, especially such as finance, it is necessary. Because, having only learned the history of emergence and development of money, we will be able to predict something concerning their future. Today it is known that the very first money specially was not made. Could act as exchange means, pebbles, shells, skins of animals, etc. Find it difficult to tell historians, what is the time passed since natural money was succeeded by coins. The oldest that so far were got by archeologists are dated the 6-5th centuries BC. Emergence of metallic currency speaks simply: rarity and value of precious metals. That is, if not to consider shells on the bank of the sea or the small river — go and collect, then it was necessary to fight for possession of a coin much. The whole world is obliged by emergence of paper money to China. About what in this country in the note course, Europe learned in the middle of the 13th century, and itself learned to issue banknotes only in XV. At this particular time the first press was invented. From 3rd to 4 more centuries (on different sources) left on introducing paper money in a turn. And also to inform people of the fact that the piece of paper has absolutely not smaller, and even great value, than a purse with gold kruglyashka.
The 20th century became in every sense revolutionary including in respect of emergence of new types of money. If the previous stages of emergence of any given types of money were measured by historians in centuries and the millennia, then in the XX century these stages just began to be imposed at each other. Personal finance from coins and pieces of paper turned into figures. Money evolved in only one century, and there was it in steps as would tell Darwin.
What emergence of money was the share of last century?
Rate of life considerably increased in the XX century, as became one of the causes of electronic money. The telegraph was considered not for nothing the demonic invention capable almost in a flash (to present measures long enough — up to several minutes) to transfer information from one point of the earth to another. It could transfer also money. To be exact, on telegraph became possible to do money transfers. It was the break which saved people from need personally to carry the large sums from one point to another, risking to be attacked at the same time. Already in the first half of the XX century up to 80% of payments began to be made thus. And only in 1972 the system was improved for banks, and at the end of the XX century is most simplified — for ordinary consumers. The last was connected with a universal computerization. So any person, without leaving the house, can transfer figures from the account to the account now and live with understanding that it has money though in a pocket at the same time can not be not a stiver.
The Internet money which came to the world in the late nineties of the XX century in fact is close to electronic payments. By means of the computer or other payment service providers became possible to transfer finance from one virtual bank to another, and then to cash money in real.
Emergence of credit money became the next stage of evolution of finance. Plastic cards appeared in the USA still in the fifties of the XX century. Need of emergence of credit money speaks simply: instead of carrying with itself a pack of cash, it is simpler to have one card which is accepted everywhere. Initially cards were accepted at restaurants and at gas stations, and entered the market as substitute of money later. The credit card — a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it in many respects facilitated the relations between banks and clients, and with another - became a psychological trap for many people who are safely borrowing money at bank, and then not having an opportunity to pay off the creditor. Similar things are not rare at all and presently.