In 1271, Marco Polo set off from Venice to meet the Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan, in China. After four years of travelling he reached Cathay and was welcomed by the Khan, who made him ambassador to India and Myanmar. He served in Asia for 17 years.
The record of his travels contains many comments on the sophistication of China compared with Europe, not least in its use of paper money. The bark of mulberry trees was processed and used to replace gold or silver as currency. The incredulous Italian considered it as wondrous as alchemy, though he noted that any merchant who declined to accept the Khan’s money faced execution. So perhaps not so wondrous after all!
Most of the time we all get on with using money without worrying about what it is — or having to be threatened to accept it. However, there are moments when doubts creep in. Today, you may notice increasing concern in the media about the currency of global trade, the US dollar.